To cut to the chase: it's not xenophobia, it's frustration. Fans want to see commitment, hunger and a connection to the league we follow every week. Over the last couple of decades we've regularly passed on home-grown players who were doing the business in Scotland and that leaves a sour taste when smaller clubs still field plenty of local lads.
Picking from home soil
Look, a Scottish player isn't automatically better or worse — ability varies — but what they often bring is a different sort of edge. Desire, bite, knowledge of how things work here. That's not a platitude; it's the texture of the league. When Falkirk, with a fraction of our budget, can put eight Scots on the park and give everything, supporters ask why we don't at least try to match that local connection.
Money spent, but where's the proof?
There was real expectation after January. New faces, a new manager, a chance to harden the spine of the team and dominate domestically. Yet the performances haven't convinced everyone. You can point to transfer timing and availability — DR didn't have chances to sign every player mentioned — but the feeling remains that the recruitment and selection haven't yet delivered the consistent Ibrox dominance we expect.
What I'd like to see
Practical suggestions: give in-form home-grown players a longer look, pick on merit and attitude, and build a clearer identity on the pitch. Press with purpose, show tempo, and pick lads who'll run through walls for the shirt. If that happens, criticism dies quickly. If not, scepticism will stick. I want to be proved wrong as much as anyone — I want us winning and playing with pride. For now, though, the questions about Scottish players and the direction under DR remain fair ones.
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