A month ago, towards the end of the winter window, Rangers legend Craig Moore opened on his attempts to get Nikola Katic back to Ibrox.
While working as an agent to the former Gers stalwart, Moore made the Glasgow giants aware of Katic’s availability when it became clear that he would be leaving Swiss outfit FC Zurich.
Rangers turned their noses up, however, and the bruising Bosnian moved south of the border instead with Plymouth Argyle.
Five weeks on, while Nikola Katic wrote his name into Plymouth folklore during that most unexpected of victories over Liverpool in the FA Cup – heading, booting everything which came into his personal space – further questions are starting to be asked about Rangers’ own central defensive options.
Clinton Nsiala endured a nightmare evening in Kilmarnock, subbed off half an hour in just days after he was arguably at fault for both St Mirren goals in another Ibrox defeat.
The ‘terrible’ Robin Propper did not fare much better in Ayrshire either. Almost one full season into his career in Scottish football, the £1.5 million acquisition from FC Twente has provided very little of the experience, reliability and physical prowess that was expected of him upon his arrival last August.
Rangers lose again as Craig Moore demands changes at Ibrox
Would Rangers have been better off welcoming Katic back to familiar surroundings while attempting to cut their losses on Propper.
Moore, a former Rangers captain and six-time Premiership champion across two spells, would not be drawn on that. He does, however, think that his old employers need to make ‘massive changes’ – particularly in the recruitment department – with Robin Propper becoming a posterboy for the mistakes of the Philippe Clement era.
“I think there needs to be massive changes, if I’m honest,” Moore begins, speaking to Go Radio. “It’s never personal [but], in terms of players that are good enough for the standard at Rangers on a regular basis, there is not many. There’s huge amounts of work to be done.
”I keep tapping into character. If you are looking at players and they don’t have the fight, they don’t have the willingness to compete, to drive others, then I wouldn’t be looking at them for Rangers.”
Rangers suffered a third straight Ibrox defeat against Motherwell on Saturday.
James Tavernier started at centre-half that afternoon with Nsiala left out of the squad entirely. Yet, just like against Kilmarnock a few days earlier, a converted full-back looked far more secure in his central role than a man who was brought in supposedly as a natural in that position.
Moore shares Robin Propper doubts as Motherwell triumph at Ibrox
“I watched the game and Tavernier was a central defender, which he is not, and he would still win his fair share of the headers,” adds Moore, a centre-back himself in his playing days. “Propper gets caught too many times trying to come from an angle.
“It is easy for a striker to nudge him out the way and hit him off balance. I think the way he attacks the ball needs to be from a better starting position.
“He is not a real physical player. He’s not played in this type of league and had those types of knocks and challenges. He needs to get himself more square. Come straight, not from the angles. Strikers just nudge you in.”
Last week, even before Motherwell triumphed at Ibrox, Gordon Dalziel suggested that Rangers should consider cutting their losses on Robin Propper.
The seldom-seen Leon King has already joined Scottish Cup conquerers Queen’s Park on loan. Leon Balogun is likely to depart as well when his contract expires while Lille loanee Rafael Fernandes is already in danger of becoming something of a forgotten man.
