Dangling close to the edge
On Wednesday Rangers will enter Ibrox facing a St. Johnstone side in the CIS Insurance cup who lie joint-top of Division 1 along with Partick Thistle.
League results for Rangers have been fragmented at best and the two cup tournaments they are currently participating in have provided a welcome distraction, such is their positive form in them both.
However, a poverty of consistency has blighted their endeavours overall on these shores, and that trend must be reversed when the Saints come to town.
In today’s news from Ibrox though, Le Guen was very cagey about the prospect of enhancing the squad come January, explaining that the quality players he desires are in the higher spectrum of cost, so at best only one could be obtained, but even then clubs are loathe to let go their star performers. Even worse, January is a poor period to pick up Bosmans, as contracts don’t expire, in general, until summer as opposed to winter. He clearly wishes to reinforce the personnel at his disposal but his hands are pretty much tied.
There are also whispers from Ibrox that he wishes to offload some of our players, including one of his very own summer signings. Furthermore, he officially concedes that many of those he secured prior to the season starting have not adapted to the SPL in the way he and the club needed.
The obvious conclusion the observer can draw is that this seriously undermines his own judgement in the transfer market; if he, by and large, is incapable of signing players suited to the SPL, then can we conceivably trust him with more financial muscle?
The obvious answer is no, but at the same time Bosman players do not guarantee a great deal of quality. Letizi and Sionko are examples of this. Plus the loan deals endowed him with the patchy Martin although also enhanced our squad a tad with the decent Bardsley. Problem is the players he paid for included the struggling Svensson, the fish out of water Sebo, and the inconsistent Papac. The only purchase to look a touch of real class and justify his transfer fee is a player Le Guen already knew incredibly well from the youth team his former club Lyon, Jeremy Clement. So in actual fact the only successful player he actually paid for was one he’d previously coached. That is obviously a fairly unique case, and casts doubt on his ability to observe new players and judge them suitable, or otherwise, to the SPL.
This is beside the point for the moment though, Rangers’ priority is St Johnstone tomorrow night, and nothing less than a convincing display against a lower division side would be acceptable. However, these cup competitions are notorious for giant-killing. Only tonight Falkirk overcame Celtic and in England Southend finished off Man Utd. So it does happen, but that would be scant consolation to a Rangers side already perilously close to the edge, with a boss who is beginning to look more shell-shocked with every passing match which fails to go as planned.
The fans are already disillusioned with events in Govan, a defeat to St Johnstone would truly mount the increasing pressure on the man from France.
He has to pray his players deliver, and his tactics are suitable.
League results for Rangers have been fragmented at best and the two cup tournaments they are currently participating in have provided a welcome distraction, such is their positive form in them both.
However, a poverty of consistency has blighted their endeavours overall on these shores, and that trend must be reversed when the Saints come to town.
In today’s news from Ibrox though, Le Guen was very cagey about the prospect of enhancing the squad come January, explaining that the quality players he desires are in the higher spectrum of cost, so at best only one could be obtained, but even then clubs are loathe to let go their star performers. Even worse, January is a poor period to pick up Bosmans, as contracts don’t expire, in general, until summer as opposed to winter. He clearly wishes to reinforce the personnel at his disposal but his hands are pretty much tied.
There are also whispers from Ibrox that he wishes to offload some of our players, including one of his very own summer signings. Furthermore, he officially concedes that many of those he secured prior to the season starting have not adapted to the SPL in the way he and the club needed.
The obvious conclusion the observer can draw is that this seriously undermines his own judgement in the transfer market; if he, by and large, is incapable of signing players suited to the SPL, then can we conceivably trust him with more financial muscle?
The obvious answer is no, but at the same time Bosman players do not guarantee a great deal of quality. Letizi and Sionko are examples of this. Plus the loan deals endowed him with the patchy Martin although also enhanced our squad a tad with the decent Bardsley. Problem is the players he paid for included the struggling Svensson, the fish out of water Sebo, and the inconsistent Papac. The only purchase to look a touch of real class and justify his transfer fee is a player Le Guen already knew incredibly well from the youth team his former club Lyon, Jeremy Clement. So in actual fact the only successful player he actually paid for was one he’d previously coached. That is obviously a fairly unique case, and casts doubt on his ability to observe new players and judge them suitable, or otherwise, to the SPL.
This is beside the point for the moment though, Rangers’ priority is St Johnstone tomorrow night, and nothing less than a convincing display against a lower division side would be acceptable. However, these cup competitions are notorious for giant-killing. Only tonight Falkirk overcame Celtic and in England Southend finished off Man Utd. So it does happen, but that would be scant consolation to a Rangers side already perilously close to the edge, with a boss who is beginning to look more shell-shocked with every passing match which fails to go as planned.
The fans are already disillusioned with events in Govan, a defeat to St Johnstone would truly mount the increasing pressure on the man from France.
He has to pray his players deliver, and his tactics are suitable.
posted by RangersMedia @ 11:13 PM
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