THE last few days of the transfer window are always met with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.
The nature of football fandom is such that when Rangers sealed a return to the Champions League group stages in Eindhoven seven days ago, supporters were as interested in how the monetary rewards would shape the club’s remaining transfer business as they were qualification.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst has certainly strengthened his ranks this summer with several quality additions, but there remains a prevailing sense that the Dutchman has unfinished business in the market.
Indeed, there is still a whiff of Steven Gerrard about the configuration of a squad that hasn’t been fully realigned over the course of two transfer windows since his departure. The midfield, for example, remains comprised of mostly 'behind-the-ball' profiles that Gerrard prioritised in Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack.
However, van Bronckhorst underlined the merits of lining up with a more attack-minded midfield combination in the 4-0 win over Ross County at the weekend. Malik Tillman and Tom Lawrence have both hit the ground running at Ibrox, but there is a paucity of options in the squad that are capable of supplementing them.
Scott Arfield represents the obvious understudy yet, in an area of the pitch that requires two players to function successfully in domestic games, it leaves Rangers short if – and when – injuries bite. Van Bronckhorst has attempted to remodel Kamara’s game, but the Finnish international’s accomplished display in Eindhoven once again underlines that he is better suited to playing a deeper role.
Elsewhere, the right midfield position remains short of genuine quality. Rabbi Matondo was brought in to address the imbalance in the area given the role was surplus to requirements in Gerrard’s system, but the Welshman is yet to hit the ground running.
Rangers must capitalise from a position of relative strength to equip van Bronckhorst with a squad that is not only capable of withstanding the impact of injuries and suspensions but is aligned with the style in place.
The sales of Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo facilitated a transfer splash that brought Ridvan Yilmaz, Ben Davies and Tillman to the club, but the financial rewards for Champions League participation should unlock a whole new dimension in terms of squad building.
The Ibrox side are competing with a Celtic outfit who have splashed a considerable amount this summer and Rangers cannot afford a scenario where they need to take emergency action in January to address areas of weakness.
In Europe, meanwhile, van Bronckhorst’s men will be aiming to secure at least Europa League football after Christmas. Ajax are expected to be Rangers’ closest challengers for third place in Group A and, although they have lost Lisandro Martinez and Antony to Manchester United, they have reinforced heavily in the summer transfer window to compensate.
The remaining few days of the window will be intriguing and could shape fan sentiment heading into this weekend’s Old Firm clash.
This piece is an extract from today’s Rangers Insider newsletter, which is emailed out at 5pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from the Rangers Review team.
To receive our full, free newsletter including this analysis straight to your email inbox, click here and tick the box for Top Stories.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here