Wingers, weight and that Parkhead night

A mixed night at Ibrox: a few encouraging performances, but worrying signs in the squad. Weight, readiness and wing depth are the things that keep nagging at me.

To cut to the chase — there were things to like and things that made my stomach drop. Shanks looking a touch heavy, Curtis not quite ready for the heat, and genuine concern about our wing options are the main takeaways. And yet Delvin and Aasgaard gave proper reasons to smile. It’s a strange mix.

Shanks and first impressions

Look, I’m not here to slag anyone off for life choices, but seeing Shanks a stone heavier than I expected was a bit of a surprise. Might be the shirt, might be stubborn off-season habits. To be fair, he’s still Shanks and you can’t write off what he brings, but the appearance does matter — especially when mentality and sharpness come under the microscope at Ibrox.

Where Curtis stands — technically and tactically

Curtis is a worry. This isn’t the harmless ‘needs minutes’ line you trot out in July; it’s more basic. Too often he runs into trouble or chooses the safe pass back. I thought he had a bit more zip. The best teams have depth on the flanks — four decent wingers at least — and right now we don’t. A year out on loan to learn the ropes properly wouldn’t surprise me.

Positives: Delvin, Aasgaard and the ugly art of it all

Delvin was brilliant in his own way. I honestly doubted whether his darker side of play would fly here with Scottish refs, but used carefully — a second-half impact role — he can stir things up without costing us. He gets under skin and can even draw infractions from the opposition. Aasgaard looked the real deal too; whatever he picked up training elsewhere shows. Talent’s there, consistency is the missing piece, and Del clearly trusts him.

My big worry remains squad depth on the wings. One injury and we’re stretched. And some players have had chances and not taken them — that Parkhead performance from Antman still haunts me. A Rangers player looking afraid at Parkhead? Not good enough, mentally or physically. I want this team to go for the title, so patience is short and standards have to be higher.

Written by MrRangers1987: 8 August 2026