Rangers’ Academy Director, Craig Mulholland, has addressed the future of the Rangers Reserve team, as quoted by the Scotsman.
The Gers returned to the SPFL Reserve league this season after a hiatus. It’s been a successful comeback in terms of results, too.
Graeme Murty’s side face Falkirk on Monday with an opportunity to seal the league title. However, there remains discontent with how the whole setup operates.
Mulholland unhappy with current system
Therefore, both the Gers and Celtic look likely to opt out of entering the competition next season.
“We will announce in the next couple of weeks what we are going to do,” said Mulholland, as quoted by the Scotsman. “I think the reserve league, going back in this year, while a lot of people have a romantic notion about what reserve football was years ago, if that was still reserve football then great.
“There is no crowd, no press, no real challenge. What we need to do, and we have got some real talent and 40 international players in the Academy, is take them and say ‘right, we are not doing what has been done before’.
“We need to do something different. What we might do next might work, it might not. I think last year’s programme, when we look back on it, was a real success.
“We would want something different, we would want a Colt team concept where we were playing against men on a weekly basis. There are 33 top leagues in Europe and 24 play with B teams. The Ajax team that played the other night [against Tottenham] has eight that have played in B teams. So we are not trying to push something that is not already been well researched and doesn’t work.”
Verdict
It’s good to see the powers that be at Rangers aren’t resting on their laurels.
It would be easy to dominate the SPFL Reserve League over a period of time, without questioning the real effect it has in terms of developing players.
However, Mulholland and co want something more for the club’s young talent.
The grand plan clearly isn’t finalised just yet, but it will interesting to see what is proposed in a couple of weeks time.
