There’s a stubborn truth in all this: you can’t replace understanding of Scottish football with a name on a sheet. Swapping McCrorie for Scott Wright, then seeing McCrorie leave Aberdeen for £2.5m, hurts on a few levels — not least because we miss the kind of squad player who knows the league inside out.
The McCrorie swap and what it says
To be fair, McCrorie was never a guaranteed starter for us, but he had a certain read of the game that comes from playing here. We let him go and brought in Wright; Aberdeen then sold McCrorie for a decent fee. That sequence raises questions about how we value players who understand the Scottish game and how we judge short- versus long-term benefits.
Why are we missing out on homegrown options?
If Mulligan didn’t want to sign, that’s a rejection we should examine rather than shrug off. There’s a pattern appearing — free agents and players from the Scottish leagues increasingly reluctant to choose Rangers. Is it money? Role promises? Perception of the club under the current regime? I don’t know McKenna’s wages in Croatia, and I won’t speculate, but the absence of a transfer fee has to be attractive to clubs and players alike. Still, attraction goes beyond cash. Players want clarity on game time, development and what the manager demands.
Affiliation isn’t a signing policy — right approach
The idea that someone must have grown up with an affiliation to the club is daft. Look at the eleven who started on Sunday — affiliation didn’t get them to Ibrox. What matters is commitment, understanding of the league’s demands and the right attitude. And yes, getting rid of staff like Clement felt wrong because replacements haven’t always matched the need. You can strip out names and reputations — the measure is whether the people coming in actually improve the squad.
At the end of the day, it’s about recruitment that combines sense of the league, clear roles and honesty with players. Do that and you get a stronger bench and a deeper squad that can handle Rangers’ particular pressures. Fail at it, and you’ll keep asking the same questions every transfer window.
Related Articles
About Rangers News Views
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.
