We’ve all been there — the new face arrives, expectations are sky-high, a stumble or two and suddenly the run-of-the-mill moans start. The point is simple: support and time matter, and Rangers supporters have a habit of writing players off far too quickly. That impatience has bitten us more than once.
Small sample, big swings
Look at the chat this season. Mikey Moore was getting slated in the first few months; some wanted him back to London. Fast forward and you hear the same people talking about seven-figure sales and big fees. Nasser Djiga was mocked early on, labelled everything from "useless" to a "donkey" — now there’s talk of clubs wanting to pay significant sums. Emmanuel Fernandez even had some calling for inquiries after his first half-season, yet he’s suddenly being discussed as a real asset. Those swings don’t mean the original criticism was entirely without merit, but they do show how quickly opinion can flip once players are given a run of games and confidence.
Why do we do it?
It’s easy to blame social media or the echo chamber of forums, but there’s more to it. We all want instant results. The pressure at Ibrox is huge — expectations are real and early mistakes feel amplified. Add in confirmation bias (you notice the errors but ignore the quiet improvements) and you get this cycle: early criticism, louder chorus, then abrupt reversal when the player starts to deliver. Fans are passionate, sure, but passion can turn into impatience.
Backing the team without being blind
That doesn’t mean never criticising — fair and reasoned critique is part of supporting any club. But giving players a proper run, keeping perspective and remembering that adaptation takes time would save us a lot of teeth-gnashing. We’ve seen it before with players like Václav Cerny, Abdallah Sima and Malik Tillman. The truth is simple: patience often pays off, and backing our players through rough patches is part of being a proper supporter.
Call it realism with a bit of faith. We’re better off spotting the progress rather than writing people off after a handful of games.
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Rangers News Views offers daily Glasgow Rangers coverage including match reaction, transfer analysis, SPFL context, tactical breakdowns and opinion-led articles written by supporters for supporters.
