The difference between Rangers recruitment in this summer compared to last is start with a clear identity and plan of what direction the club is heading in.
Michael Beale favoured players that he knew, players that he had been keeping an eye on for years, regardless of form or how they would fit into a cohesive unit which resulted in square pegs in round holes.
Had he still been in charge, there is every chance that a player who has just moved to APOEL, could well have been coming to Rangers.
Other than Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling and Jose Cifuentes, every other player that Beale signed seemed to be one that needed to be fixed in some way.
Whether it was form or fitness, not enough of them arrived firing on all cylinders and the one that did – Danilo – had to sit on the bench and watch or play out of position to get a game.
Max Meyer’s latest move a far cry from Rangers interest
Had Beale still been manager, he would have loved the opportunity to sign a player who was linked when he was number two to Steven Gerrard – Max Meyer.
As a full Germany international, Meyer’s career promised a lot in its early stages and even saw a link to Liverpool at the peak of his potential but now finds himself in Cyprus with APOEL.
On a free transfer, Meyer got his move to the Premier League but to Crystal Palace where he spent most of his time out on loan and ended up playing in Turkey, Denmark and Switzerland.
At 28-years old he still has a lot to offer and his injury history is good too, he just hasn’t been able to replicate his form at youth level and make the same impact in senior football.
Having hit 17 goals in 65 games in the Swiss Super League, he probably could have been a success at Rangers but Philippe Clement isn’t Michael Beale.
Clement transfer policy heads in a different direction
Speaking at the start of his tenure as manager, Clement was clear on what he wanted to bring to Ibrox:
“A playing style that is creative about scoring goals. It is about being dominant and winning also not scoring goals and then giving away easy goals.
“We have the idea to go forward and attack, but we also have a changing of positions with the players but for that we need time in the beginning.
“At all my clubs, in the beginning, we need time because it is not natural to do this automatically but, in the moment, it starts to work and you get more fluid football and you will get a lot of goals wherever you go.
“The quality is here to do that with these players otherwise I would have not taken the job.”
Meyer isn’t going to change who he is as a player now, but the signings that the Gers boss has made so far are all at the stage of their careers where they can adapt a lot easier.
They are all young, dynamic, energetic and have pace, qualities that will be needed to maintain a high intensity, attacking style of play.
Once upon a time, Meyer would have been a great signing for Rangers, however, it shows where the club is heading that his name hasn’t even been mentioned.
