If Michael Beale is looking for any comfort that his summer signings like Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers can still come good, it is in Mark Hateley’s Rangers career.
The Light Blues legend had a difficult start to life at Ibrox but soon formed a partnership with Ally McCoist that was as good as any in Europe and one that collected trophies like Panini stickers.
It wasn’t easy for Mark Hateley though and, speaking to The Rangers Review, the big Englishman has revealed why some off the current crop haven’t hit the ground running.
Graeme Souness tried to sign Hateley earlier in his managerial tenure but was unsuccessful, by the time he arrived the towering striker had Maurice Johnston and McCoist ahead of him in the queue.
Both had become popular in a successful partnership which made Hateley the one guilty of splitting them up, even if it was the manager’s choice.
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The 2023 brethren have a different situation in that they have all arrived at the same time but Mark Hateley has explained what he thinks the players need to be a success:
“Some people settle quicker than others.
“That is just the way it is. Some feel that until they have got their family around them they can’t relax.
“Some people can see right past that and just concentrate on what they are doing in front of them for the next minute then the next minute then the next minute. That doesn’t worry them.
“It is all down to the individual. And, as we have always said, you need to be a special individual to cope with playing at Rangers. We have seen some great players come and fail.
“It is all down to the individual circumstances and how quickly you settle, especially for strikers.”
It is the same with academy players, sometimes mentality and confidence can be more important than ability.
Brandon Barker is the perfect example.
A player widely regarded as one of the best players in training, at every club he has been at, and yet he would struggle when it came to 3pm on a Saturday.
Nacho Novo is the complete opposite.
Not technically gifted by any stretch of the imagination but he loved playing for Rangers and made every opportunity count.
Mark Hateley is right, to play for Rangers you need to be more than just a good player and Michael Beale’s job depends on players like Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers finding their feet.