Rangers might not have framed it that way, but by sending James Sands back to NYCFC a few months earlier it’s a not so subtle resignation of defeat over the midfielder.
The USA international utility man didn’t have the best of luck at Rangers but after the club announced he’d be heading back Stateside it’s proven plenty right with regards this transfer.
Last January Rangers made four signings, with James Sands’ 18-month loan deal supplemented by the signings of Amad Diallo, Aaron Ramsey and Matuesz Zukowski.
All four of these players are no longer at the club.
Rangers went into the January window of 2021 with a substantial points lead over Old Firm rivals Celtic and wound up losing the league by four points.
The fact that all of these players are no longer at Rangers is a stinging indictment of the club’s failing transfer policy of the last few windows and things have got to change.
James Sands departs Rangers
Courtesy of that domestic collapse in the second half of last season, Rangers have now surrendered supremacy to their Old Firm rivals and there’s an ominous feeling surrounding how we will get it back.
By returning James Sands to NYCFC, Rangers also save the reported £5m that it would cost to sign him and are now free to – theoretically – spend that better.
But the exit of James Sands must be the first of several as a number of underperforming and constantly crocked stars continue to drain the life out of the club.
This is going to be the biggest summer of Ross Wilson’s Rangers tenure and if he doesn’t get it right, then we suspect heads will begin to roll at the top of the club.
Rangers have a responsibility to the fans to move on from a culture which has begun to normalise defeat by sticking with the same players despite their repeated failures.