Steven Gerrard and James Tavernier faced the media this afternoon, fresh off the disappointment of Rangers’ European exit last night.
The press conference was intended to preview Sunday’s fixture at Hamilton. However, it was the Europa League and January Transfer Window,1 that featured more prominently.
Hit by injuries and suspensions to key players of late, a lack of depth in Rangers’ squad has been exposed.
As a result, many believe they need to strengthen next month. This afternoon, however, Gerrard put one notion firmly to bed.
He ruled out lots of new faces arriving in January.
Immediately after last night’s defeat, the manager had indicated that the squad needs an injection of quality to compete better in Europe.
It wasn’t clear when he planned to make those changes. But, today’s comments suggest any major squad overall will come in the summer.
This may be a disappointment to some fans, but it’s probably the right approach.
Shaking things up entirely in the middle of the season can be a risky business. It’s important not to make panic buys that the club will later regret.
Rangers are still not blessed with a pot of money they can splurge at any time. Because of that, they need to be sensible.
One or two new players, particularly in forward areas, may be all Rangers need. Exiting Europe means less fixtures and with that comes less rotation.
The key for Gerrard, is identifying his best eleven and sticking with it.
