Rangers’ erratic dealings let Lawwell off the hook
PERHAPS the one consolation for Celtic fans ready to tar and feather chief executive Peter Lawwell over another rather tepid transfer window is that time is showing Rangers’ longer-term dealings in the market to be even more erratic.
The assertion from Ibrox first-team coach Michael Beale just a matter of weeks ago, for example, that the team always plays with two ‘No 10s’ raised obvious questions over why they spent so long loading up on wide players.
Eros Grezda, a remarkable way to fritter away £2.8million or whatever it was, and Jamie Murphy are no more, of course.
However, the likes of Jordan Jones, understood to be surplus to requirements already after his mini-meltdown in the first Old Firm game of the campaign, Jake Hastie, sent back early from a temporary stay at Rotherham United, Brandon Barker and Sheyi Ojo remain on hand to fill those all-important spots on the bench.
It is tempting to see this as the lasting legacy of former ‘conductor of the orchestra’ and director of football Mark Allen, but the club made a point of putting out a statement telling all and sundry he was a wizard bloke who did a wizard job, so that’s that.
Still, at least his successor Ross Wilson finally figured out having no one other than 37-year-old Jermain Defoe as back-up to Alfredo Morelos at centre-forward carried its own particular risks and got Florian Kamberi, now surely ABOVE former Hearts supremo and merger mastermind Wallace Mercer in the all-time hate list at Hibs after that first interview, in on loan at the very end of January’s wheeling and dealing.
Good job Defoe didn’t get crocked a week later. Otherwise, it would have been Greg Stewart, hardly a natural No 9 and nowhere near the squad yesterday despite being fit again, shouldering the responsibility as understudy during what is clearly now a faltering title challenge.
Kamberi has been a bit hit-andmiss at Easter Road, truth be told. He can operate out wide and is probably better playing in a front two, which is something Rangers don’t really do, but he could probably step in at a pinch should Bad Alfredo come back out to play over the next few weeks after his most recent suspension.
Sure, it’s a bit of a giggle signing him, considering Celtic manager’s Neil Lennon’s departure from Hibs was understood to have followed something of a contretemps with the Swiss-born Albanian internationalist — even though it was made clear afterwards in an unforgettable club statement that nobody did anything wrong, nobody was sacked, nobody resigned and everything was absolutely peachy-plum.
But, yes, the manager wasn’t there any more.
The 24-year-old is becoming the master of magnificent off-field utterances, though. His Rangers TV piece to camera on Friday night was absolute gold. And absolute garbage.
‘Ever since I came to Scotland, it has been a dream for me to move to Rangers and it has happened, so I am a very, very happy man,’ he told us, breathlessly. ‘My second game for Hibs was against Rangers at Ibrox and, after the game, I told my agent immediately my dream would be to play in this stadium in front of these fans as they are the best fans in the world.’
All that was missing were the strains of Rule Britannia on the audio track and a wee story about how he grew attached to the club through their dignity in defeat after seeing them thumped 3-0 by Grasshoppers in his native Zurich during Sir Walter’s time in charge.
Kamberi should be thankful the terms of his loan deal prevent him from playing when Jack Ross’ team pitch up at Ibrox on Wednesday night. The merest sight of him and the chances are those away fans would be back over the advertising hoards and on the rampage like it was Hampden Park in 2016.
Meanwhile, the signing of Ianis Hagi — son of Romanian legend Gheorghe, if you hadn’t heard — has been greeted like the second coming of Christ.
At 21, there should be scope for improvement with him. At least, one should hope so, considering he has started only seven games out of 19 this season for a team sitting sixth in Belgium.
Neither Kamberi or Hagi, mind you, was able to prevent a costly goalless draw at home against Aberdeen yesterday, the latest instalment in this year’s spectacular, albeit unexpected, winter wobble from Rangers.
Yet, maybe this slump shouldn’t have taken us entirely by surprise.
When you study Steven Gerrard’s squad outwith the first XI, it lacks quality in terms of replacements and it is becoming progressively more difficult to see them keep pace with the better-equipped Celtic as the season progresses.
Parkhead manager Lennon wanted experienced heads, but it didn’t happen. And that’s why there is further, clear supporter unrest. But the likelihood is that, with Rangers now four points behind and up against the wall, they will still get themselves over the line with the players they’ve got.
Celtic have had countless windows of spending money on players that make no impression. It is something that has to change.
Sure, the signings of £3.5m Patryk Klimala and £2m Ismaili Soro, coupled with the summer arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong and others,
do point to a return to a definite strategy of buying young and cheap with a view to selling high in time.
But is it too much to ask that they dovetail that with spending some of that £40m lying around in the bank on real quality that will make an impression on the first team now? Isn’t it necessary to show the club still has, at least, some hope of being a Champions League team rather than also-rans?
Celtic’s wage bill always made them favourites for the domestic title, but it is Rangers’ failure to build real strength in depth that is costing them now their main men are picking up knocks and running on fumes.
It is starting to look like a missed opportunity. And allowing Lawwell to remain Scottish football’s very own Teflon Don.