Summer Recruitment?

[alexscottislegend 2,330]

18 minutes ago, Rousseau said:

A loan to Rangers would be great for Gilmour's development - if he plays. 

 

I see him as a Davis-type player; a deep-lying playmaker. 

 

I've been more than impressed whenever I see Gilmour play, but I'm not sure I like the idea of signing him on loan. We wouldn't be developing our own, and would he get ahead of Davis? 

 

I would rather see Kelly -- who has done well at Ross County -- get a game as a Davis replacement. 

Yes. Some of our loan players are doing well. Seen young Maxwell at QoS - he could be a left-sided Patterson. And McPake has just won a Wembley medal! Really would like to see them make it into matchday squads.

[JohnMc 2,766]

I've my doubts any of the current crop out on loan will make a dent on our first team. I can't see Middleton returning, he's been a bit part player at St Johnstone and he really needs games. Best case scenario for him is another loan at a similar sized club. Likewise I can't see a return for Jake Hastie. Brandon Barker and Edmundson might push for a squad space but I suspect Jordan Jones is finished with us. 

 

Kelly has had an okay season at Ross County, but again he's not a guaranteed starter for them albeit he's played in most games this season. Again though is he likely to challenge for a place in our midfield currently, I don't think so. 

 

McPake is playing at a pretty low level, there would need to be serious improvement for him to challenge Kent or Aribo. I suspect another season on loan at a higher level than English League 2 is next for him. 

 

The players on loan in the Scottish lower leagues will either be released or sent back out on loan I suspect. Some of them have done quite well by all accounts. Mayo and Kennedy are both in the play offs. I don't think Mayo has a future at Rangers unfortunately or Barjonas.

 

If Raith Rovers go up I could see us keeping Kennedy there, Raith play decent passing football and seem well managed and coached, if he can make an impact in the SPFL he's got as good a chance as anyone of getting into our side. Ben Williamson has apparently done well at Arbroath in the same league as has Maxwell at QOTS, again a loan at a higher level seems the obvious next move for them. I don't know much about Breen at QOTS or Lyall at ICT, but further loans seem likely. 

 

The question of what happens to Paterson and King next season is more important. Paterson has looked very promising but barring injury he's not replacing Tav currently. King has been highly rated for a while and it was interesting we chose to keep him rather than send him out on loan too. He's not made it onto the pitch though. Do they stay as squad players hoping for a chance or go out and get first team experience elsewhere. 

 

It'll be interesting to see if Charlie Lindsay, who we signed from Glentoran, and James Graham who we took from Ross County can make any kind of impression next season. 

[DMAA 3,658]

7 hours ago, Rousseau said:

I would rather see Kelly -- who has done well at Ross County -- get a game as a Davis replacement. 

I was hoping this would be the case when he joined RC at the beginning of the season but I'm afraid it looks very unlikely now that he'll make the cut with us.

 

He has only played more than half an hour 14 out of 36 league games with them, and many (if not all) of those appearances were due to injuries to others.

 

It has been a similar story with McCrorie, I had hoped he was ready to step up but his season with Livingston hasn't gone to plan at all.

Edited May 6, 2021 by DMAA

[Bill 13,717]

I take a different position on these players. The point of developing fringe players isn't to produce candidates for our first team. It will happen from time to time of course but in general we go out and sign players we expect to turn out for the first team. In my opinion like most other big clubs, the main point of the rest is to develop and trade - a process we're only starting to implement.  

 

Talk of the likes of Kelly coming from Ross County to replace Steve Davis is just nonsense - it will never happen and if we have any ambition to improve then neither should it.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Bill

[der Berliner 3,749]

The Summer Transfer Rumours Thread is nigh, but ...

 

... there seemingly were a few rumours* out there that after his loan stint at Cardiff City, we might want to take Harry Wilson (on loan) for next season. He`s got a contract at Liverpool till 2023 ... and maybe SG can convince the high-ones at Liverpool that being with us ain`t be too bad. Then again, there might be some revamp coming at Merseyside for next season too.

 

*Somewhere between whispers and wishful thinking, so don`t work yourself up here yet. ?

[the gunslinger 3,366]

wilson is a cracking player 

[Rousseau 10,651]

12 hours ago, Bill said:

I take a different position on these players. The point of developing fringe players isn't to produce candidates for our first team. It will happen from time to time of course but in general we go out and sign players we expect to turn out for the first team. In my opinion like most other big clubs, the main point of the rest is to develop and trade - a process we're only starting to implement.  

 

Talk of the likes of Kelly coming from Ross County to replace Steve Davis is just nonsense - it will never happen and if we have any ambition to improve then neither should it.

A Davis "replacement" was not the right word - understudy, perhaps? Training with the first team, playing the odd game to give Davis a rest or as injury cover.

 

That, for me, is the point of youngsters. Patterson: He's not replacing Tavernier any time soon, but he's come into the team when our Captain was injured. 

 

Nevertheless, it has been pointed out to me that Kelly has not actually played that much for RC, so I would now scratch my whole comment.  

 

I completely agree with the player trading, but firstly we should be looking to get them involved with the first team. 

[Bill 13,717]

4 hours ago, Rousseau said:

A Davis "replacement" was not the right word - understudy, perhaps? Training with the first team, playing the odd game to give Davis a rest or as injury cover.

 

That, for me, is the point of youngsters. Patterson: He's not replacing Tavernier any time soon, but he's come into the team when our Captain was injured. 

 

Nevertheless, it has been pointed out to me that Kelly has not actually played that much for RC, so I would now scratch my whole comment.  

 

I completely agree with the player trading, but firstly we should be looking to get them involved with the first team. 

I believe clubs like Rangers have to be involved in two different and largely discreet processes. The first is to assemble a trophy-winning first team squad, almost all of whom have to be capable of fulfilling a first team role whenever called upon - no passengers. The second is to assemble a shadow squad of players, the vast majority of whom are a not expected to be first team players but who can benefit from good coaching, good club practice, etc and who can be improved with a view to trading - primarily for money but also as makeweights for inbound transfers. Not all of these will generate net income but many should. Occasionally some might actually make it into our own first team (Patterson) but most will need to find first team experience elsewhere, while generating loan income towards their cost to Rangers. It's a bit like farming on someone else's land.

 

I don't have any figures to support it but it seems to me the loan market for players is huge and reflects a business model we've been too slow to embrace. You just have to look at the likes of Ryan Kent to see how it works. I think the current board and management team are now committed to this two-tier approach to recruitment and as supporters we should also understand that not all signings will be intended for the first team.