As Rangers’ domestic season hangs in the balance, everyone at Ibrox will be starting to feel the pressure.
From manager Steven Gerrard to his backroom staff, to captain James Tavernier and all the players, everyone involved with the football club is now under increasing scrutiny following the 1-0 Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts.
Results have got to change on domestic soil if we’re to salvage a title race this season, but looking beyond that is there now increasing pressure on one Ibrox board member to deliver this summer?
Ross Wilson came in to replace Mark Allen as the club’s sporting director in October last year [Rangers].
Wilson has a glowing reputation in football after his early success with Premier League Southampton and his signature was considered a bit of a coup for Rangers.
His first transfer window – as we were consistently reminded – was about shifting players on the fringes of the squad on.
Much of who he moved on will have been defined by the manager and you can’t blame the recruitment guru for finding new loan clubs for the now on-form Jamie Murphy and Greg Docherty.
Wilson earned credit for moving on £2m flop Eros Grezda, whilst the deal to bring Ianis Hagi to Rangers on-loan is looking like an increasingly good piece of business.
Hibs loanee Florian Kamberi has also been a rare bright light in an otherwise drab 2020 domestically.
But as Rangers look to bridge the gap with Celtic and sign players capable of taking a title challenge to them for the distance of a season, Wilson’s abilities will be tested this summer.
Much of this team – no matter how talented some of them are – are clearly not the answer on domestic soil.
Alongside Steven Gerrard, Wilson will not only be tasked with sourcing suitable players within the club’s transfer budget, but he’ll also need to juggle raising funds by selling certain players.
It might be an uncomfortable truth but should Rangers fail to salvage this campaign, there is no room for passengers next season.
Wilson will have a big role in ensuring there aren’t any at the Rangers Training Centre if we kick off next season without a trophy from this campaign.
