Expectations were huge from Rangers this season as they made their way back to the top tier of Scottish football after four long years. Many predicted that it could bring Celtic’s monopoly in the Premiership to an end but that did not happen in reality. None of Mark Warburton’s summer signings has really made a big mark. Rangers are third on the table right now, sitting 11 points behind Celtic and does not look like they could challenge for the title this season.
The Gers have lost just twice in the Premiership this season but have drawn too many games. As many as 5 draws from 12 games is too much for a side who should be aiming for the title. Let us take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Gers.
Strengths
Rangers’ are blessed with a solid squad depth in every position. Well, their quality is not at the level what you expect from a team who aim to become champions but they have what it takes to become runners up by the end of the season. It was probably too much an ask from us when we expected them to challenge Celtic right away after their promotion.
In every position, Rangers have enough players. Despite terminating Barton’s contract and Niko Kranjcar going down with a season-ending injury, they have enough quality in midfield in the likes of Halliday, Holt, Rossiter, Windass, Crooks. There is a similar kind of depth in both defence and midfield too. The credit for this goes to the manager Warburton.
Weaknesses
At this time last season, Rangers were a Championship side. The quality and the competition of the Premiership and the Championship is much different from each other and the transformation of the Gers was always going to be a lengthy process. After four years of absence from the first tier, if you expect Rangers to be as strong a side as Celtic, it’s your fault, not the Gers’.
The blue half of Glasgow still needs time and a few more transfer windows to match the other half of Glasgow in terms of quality. It’s not an overnight process. Rangers already have accumulated a decent squad depth. All they need in January and the next summer is to improve their first team. They need players who stand out from the rest like Celtic’s Scott Sinclair or Moussa Dembele.
