Last week, Mick Beale attempted – perhaps in vain – to hit back at the critics who questioned one particular element of his ill-fated spell in charge of Scottish Premiership giants Rangers. Results were not the only concern, with his recruitment also leaving a lot to be desired.
But Jack Butland and Abdallah Sima, two players who arrived at Ibrox on the Englishman’s watch, should be in contention for the division’s Player of the Year award, Beale argues.
Now, he certainly has a point with Butland, the goalkeeper so impressive that his omission from Gareth Southgate’s England squad remains a source of much bafflement north of the border. With Sima, however, Beale is pushing it a little. The forward has missed almost the entirety of 2024 so far due to injury.
It’s telling, meanwhile, that Steven Gerrard’s former Ibrox assistant opted against mentioning many of the other players he brought to Glasgow. Rangers signed nine players during Beale’s one and only summer at the helm, after all. And only two of those – Butland and Sima – can be considered an unquestionable success.
Summer exit likely for one of Beale’s Rangers signings
Read more: All 11 Rangers loan players for 2023/24 season and how they are performing
The less said about Sam Lammers, one of a number of relatively big-money signings who flattered to deceive, the better.
In fact, it speaks volumes about how much damage that dismal half-season did to Lammers’ reputation that, despite finding form again on loan at Utrecht in the Eredivisie, Rangers are still planning to cash in, reportedly at a sizeable loss on their £3 million investment.
Lammers scored for a fourth Eredivisie game in a row during Utrecht’s 5-1 hammering of PEC Zwolle on Wednesday night. This is now his most prolific run of form since that stellar spell at Heerenveen five years ago.
“I feel good at the club,” Lammers told ESPN. “After a bad start, we have recovered well. We want to reach European football, which is where we belong as Utrecht. That would really be a great achievement, if you see where we come from.”
Head coach Ron Jans is making no secret of his desire to keep Lammers in the Netherlands. Utrecht, he says, ‘will do everything we can’, even if Rangers’ demands could test the limits of their budget.
Lammers, however, insists that talks over a permanent departure from the Premiership challengers are yet to begin, even if that is expected to change sooner rather than later.
Four goals in four games now for Sam Lammers
“There have been no discussions yet,” says the former PSV forward, who has scored or assisted five more goals for Utrecht than he did in the Scottish Premiership in five games fewer.
“But I am having a good time. So (talks) will be held.”
Rangers are also expected to let Jose Cifuentes go in the summer, especially when the obligation-to-buy clause in Mohammed Diomande’s contract is triggered. Cifuentes is in Brazil with Cruzeiro, with the club open about their hopes of extending his stay.
