Let’s have a look at the rumours and news surrounding Rangers this past week.
Obviously, fan focus was dominated by the poor performance and defeat on Saturday. Such was the nature of it that some fans got annoyed that the players went on their Christmas night out later that day. That sort of debate is just the nature of football fans now. Despite the team having better results in the last 5 games than anyone else in the league, the mood is pretty negative.
The club confirmed that Kenny Miller will be out for a while due to injury. Added to the Dorrans situation, it’s another key player not available for important matches. The squad has felt rather stretched of late.
The released answers to Club1872 AGM questions were poorly received. They sounded dismissive to the point of condescending. The fans group can often be accused of being too close to the board. This will be an opportunity to show that things aren’t as cosy as perceived. At the very least, the board should be made aware that recent communication has been deemed poor by the majority of Rangers fans.
The transfer rumours have started gathering pace. The club was linked with Jamie Murphy, and Brighton responded by saying they wouldn’t be willing to sell him at this stage. As per the summer, Stevie Naismith is rumoured to be a target. There’s still a fair debate as to whether or not he should be signed. That discussion needs an article itself. Lewis Morgan of St Mirren looks set to sign for Celtic, which is disappointing many Rangers fans. It’s always seen as a failure if good Scottish talent isn’t picked up by the club.
Linked to all of this are rumours of issues surrounding Mark Allen. Allegedly, there’s a breakdown between himself and the board with regards transfer targets and future plans. We should stress that this is just rumour at this stage. Hopefully, it’s all nonsense and everything is working well there. The club needs stability in various areas, and some patience to allow people to develop.
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The biggest rumour surrounding the manager position came from tabloids in England claiming a move for Tony Pulis. It’s unclear how much substance is behind that. Pulis is linked with a return to Stoke if Mark Hughes doesn’t turn things around. Given the choice, you’d imagine he’d go there again. Pulis is the sort of manager who will divide opinion given his preferred style of play. If the fan mood was generally more positive, I believe many who would take him just now would be more inclined to have doubts. In saying that, of the sort of names that have been linked, there’s no denying he would be among the best in terms of reputation and ability.
At this time of year, you expect the games to dominate the headlines, especially with the volume of them. Such are things at Rangers right now that there’s plenty going on elsewhere to divert the focus. And this would seem like a quiet week in recent times…
Any news you’ve heard that needs discussion? Tweet us @rangersnewsuk and we’ll be happy to discuss.