Rangers urged to fix one major issue this transfer window after Hearts loss puts spotlight on key failing
A former boss has told the club where they’ve went wrong in terms of recruitment
As Rangers’ title hopes fall by the wayside, former boss Alex McLeish would like to see more Scottish players in the side - something he believes helped him achieve success during his Ibrox tenure.
The Light Blues’ 2-1 defeat at Hearts has given them a mountain to climb in the title race which they firm contenders in less than a fortnight ago. Having previously stumbled at home to Motherwell, Danny Rohl’s side have lost back to back fixtures this season for the first time at a crucial stage. At Tynecastle, Stephen Kingsley and Lawrence Shankland overturned Dujon Sterling’s opener to put the hosts seven points ahead of their Glaswegian rivals with just three games to go.
During McLeish’s five years at Ibrox, he won two league titles and also secured the domestic treble in the 2002/03 campaign. At that time, Rangers had a strong nucleus of Scottish players, who were well aware of the culture of the club. After a day where Hearts fielded seven Scots compared to Rangers’ zero, the 67-year old feels he knows where the problem lies.
Rangers need more Scots - McLeish
Speaking to the Sun, McLeish compared the current team to his own in terms of homegrown players. He also thinks Rangers should’ve signed striker Shankland when they had the chance. The Scotland international and Jambos captain grew up a Rangers fan and was heavily linked with the club before he headed to Gorgie. McLeish said: "I know Lawrence Shankland was available and I thought, 'Just go get him'. He's a fox in the box, an out-and-out goalscorer. I had it with Kris Boyd and I had other Scottish lads like Steven Thompson who were fantastic for me. We really need to look at our own players here in Scotland at times."
Rangers currently have Scotland internationals Connor Barron, John Souttar and Liam Kelly in their ranks, as well as a plethora of young players making their way through the youth ranks, however none featured on Monday afternoon’s doomsday Tynecastle encounter. One man that’s perhaps came under scrutiny more than most is manager Danny Rohl, but McLeish believes he should be given a bit more time to put things right.
Former Rangers boss backs Rohl
It can’t be overlooked that Rohl took over a Rangers team that were in a complete mess following the disastrous spell of Russell Martin. The German boss has helped close the gap on the title contenders as they were once 13 points behind the league leaders, however his team have capitulated at a vital moment. McLeish had legendary Ibrox gaffer Walter Smith in his corner when he got the job and was constantly asking him for advice. He believes Rohl would benefit from something similar.
He continued: “Danny will be finding it hard to sleep at night. I remember when I got the Rangers job I asked my old mentor Walter Smith out for dinner in the west end. At dinner I asked him for advice on the job and what I should do. He looked at me and said, 'Just win'. I had that mentor figure, and maybe that's something the club has lacked in recent years. But at the same time, I'm looking at Rangers and they have to start winning titles again. They are still one of the top clubs in the world.
"I watched the Old Firm derby in the New Year. It was a great win for Rangers and I thought Danny had it sussed. I said at that point I thought they would go on to win the league because of that fantastic performance at Celtic Park. Rangers were fast and aggressive, so I don't know what happened. It's credit to the rest of the Scottish league, I suppose. The likes of Hearts and Motherwell have really stuck it to the Old Firm at times this season. Rangers have dropped far too many points away to the likes of Hibs, Motherwell and Livingston. It's been an incredibly strange campaign, and I've never seen the Old Firm at such a low level."
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