As Rangers announced the contract renewal of Allan McGregor, it’s fair to say that the reaction amongst supporters has been mixed.
Not that it’s like the Ibrox support to get hysterical at times – everyone has an opinion and Rangers fans are never scared to voice them – but the deal is being scrutinised with good reason.
A series of high-profile errors last season and this continuing narrative regarding McGregor’s inability to deal with crosses has plenty questioning the move and asking what Greegsy’s role will be next season.
Many want Jon McLaughlin to start between the sticks and with Champions League qualifiers creeping up the pressure is on Giovanni van Bronckhorst to get this call right.
It’s not just that Allan McGregor, a club legend who is arguably our greatest ever goalkeeper, is a veteran of the game at the ripe old age of 40, but securing his signature is the latest of a series of veteran renewals.
Allan McGregor’s renewal follows deals being doled out to Scott Arfield, Steven Davis and Connor Goldson.
Whilst a new contract for Connor is a no-brainer, the decision to hand both Arfield and Davis new deals despite their ages of 34 and 38 respectively has also raised eyebrows.
It intimates that Rangers will keep the bulk of a squad who did reach the Europa League Final last season but who also came up short against Celtic, who continue to be linked with a series of high-profile moves to strengthen their own squad.
Rangers contract renewals raise eyebrows amid lack of transfer activity
To date, Leon Balogun is the only first team player of any serious note to vacate the club, a decision which itself has been controversial given the Nigerian international’s popularity at Ibrox.
This has made way for Scotland international John Souttar to join, a shrewd piece of business if the defender can stay fit, with this being the only major change to the squad this season.
And this is part of the reason why such scrutiny continues to gather around Rangers’ early transfer business.
As things stand the Gers are likely to line up with a very familiar starting XI on opening day of the Scottish Premiership season against Livingston.
Given how much the club came up short in the league last season a perceived lack of transfer activity is already heaping pressure on the next one.
Perhaps these renewals – for talented professionals and experienced heads – is about conserving the budget for other areas of the squad.
But if this doesn’t go right and Rangers have merely kicked the ball up the park for another season, expect fans to demand that heads roll amid fears that our squad is stagnating.
It’s a pressure Rangers are going to have to live with particularly in the early part of the season as fan scrutiny over contract renewals and a slow transfer window builds.
Speaking of transfer business, Rangers have been linked with a move for a familiar face who downed the club last season.