JOHN Hartson was being deliberately antagonistic last week when he declared that even the great Jose Mourinho would struggle to enjoy success at Rangers with the “duds” he would have to work with.
But the former Celtic and Wales striker had a definite point – as their home defeat against St. Johnstone just a few days later emphatically underlined.
There has been a fixation with who will be brought in to replace Pedro Caixinha as manager in Scottish football in recent weeks. Will Alex McLeish be brought back? Can they afford Frank de Boer? Will they move for Derek McInnes? Speculation has been rife and in many cases wild.
But it has rather overlooked the fact that whoever Rangers appoint will have a decidedly average group of players to work with as well as limited funds to strengthen. The problems at Ibrox just now run far deeper than the man who occupies the dugout. There will need to be far more than one new arrival to properly address them.
Graeme Murty, the interim manager, was missing some important and experienced players on Saturday. Graham Dorrans, Kenny Miller and Lee Wallace were all unavailable due to injuries. Their absence was keenly felt in defence, midfield and up front.
But Rangers should still have been able to beat a St. Johnstone side whose form this season has been mediocre at best comfortably at home.
The Glasgow club have some decent players. Ryan Jack, who returned after a two match suspension at the weekend, has been an excellent signing. He set up Alfredo Morelos, another who has done well since arriving in the summer, for the opening goal. Declan John also put in a decent shift at left back.
In Ross McCrorie, the 19-year-old centre half who was once again played as a holding midfielder on Saturday, they have a youngster with an exciting future in the game ahead of him.
However, the expectations at Rangers remain, even with the financial difficulties their directors continue to wrestle with, great and are probably, given the fact their wage bill is far larger than every one of their top flight rivals bar Celtic, justified. Is this current group of players good enough to meet them? Not on this evidence.
The expensive foreign recruits who Caixinha brought in an extravagant recruitment drive in the close season were meant to elevate them to a far higher level than they performed at last term. That has not happened.
Carlos Pena has been the biggest disappointment. He has looked cumbersome and disinterested in the smattering of matches he has been involved in. That he was absent from the squad altogether at the weekend told its own story. But Eduardo Herrera, who failed to make an impact after coming off the bench on Saturday, has not been a great deal better. Daniel Candeias was once again ineffectual before being replaced.
Bruno Alves, the 94-times capped Portugal defender, has at least played. But even the centre half, who is among the highest earners at Rangers, has disappointed. His poor headed clearance allowed Blair Alston to net the St. Johnstone equaliser.
The ease with which Denny Johnstone and then Graham Cummins netted in the second half to help the visitors record their first league win at Ibrox in 46 years also reflected poorly on a player who was brought in to be a commanding presence in the heart of the rearguard and has failed to fulfil that role.
St. Johnstone, missing both Murray Davidson and Michael O’Halloran, showed what can be achieved when limited players are well organised and motivated by a shrewd coach. They were as good as their opponents were disappointing. If Tommy Wright’s charges can maintain the same high level of performance in the second half of the 2017/18 campaign they will move up the top flight table.
But it is very hard to see this set of Rangers players being galvanised by the arrival of a full-time manager to such an extent that they challenge for the William Hill Scottish Cup, the only piece of silverware which is realistically available to them, in the coming months.
Underperforming players will have to be moved on, either on loan or permanently, during the January transfer window and new ones brought in for there to be a turnaround and that will not be easy due to the form they have been exhibiting and the salaries they are pocketing.
Even finishing second ahead of Aberdeen, who appear to have been lifted by McInnes pledging his future to them and who moved three points ahead of them on Saturday with their third win in as many games, looks as if it may be beyond them at the moment.
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