Nal ray of hope at Ibrox

domestically and make progress in Europe.

ALLEN, a former Manchester City academy director, has created a new scouting network and brought in the widely respected Andy Scoulding, who has previously worked at Fulham, Liverpool and Valencia, club great John Brown, Dave Swanick, formerly of Aston Villa, and Billy McLaren.

That quintet’s arrival at Auchenhowie this season could be every bit as important as any goalkeeper, centre half, holding midfielder, winger or striker.

“In the modern game as it stands now I think you need a strategy for how you are going to recruit, where you are going to recruit and why you are going to recruit,” said Allen last year.

“In today’s game you need strategy, intelligence and eyes. You need to know how to build databases, how to build dossiers on players and be looking at what they are doing on and off the pitch.

“The final and most critical part is you need the eyes to be able to go out and watch games live to confirm what the intelligence and video scouting is telling you.’’

Murty, who is determined to do well enough between now and the end of the 2017/18 campaign to earn a long-term contract, also has extensive contacts in the game from his time with Reading, Southampton and Norwich and has clearly putting them to good use

The arrival of Cummings, Goss, John, Martin and Murphy will bolster Rangers’ bid to finish second ahead of Aberdeen in the Premiership in the coming months.

Beyond that, the considered approach which the Ibrox club are finally taking to their transfer activity should bring greater success and stability after years of mistakes and underachievement.