Rangers

Danny Rohl wants to add players in the January transfer who understand what it means to play for Rangers. The Light Blues failed to make it five league wins in a row after drawing with Falkirk at the weekend. It’s been a chaotic couple of months for the Ibrox club as they sacked former head coach Russell Martin, chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell. Oliver Antman is going to be out for eight weeks with an abductor problem and Nasser Djiga and Ousmane Diomande are expected to feature in the Africa Cup of Nations later this month. Before the Gers’ away fixture against Dundee United tomorrow, Rohl confirmed that he’s having regular discussions with chairman Andrew Cavenagh: “In general, I’m in a conversation with Andrew nearly every two or three days. “I think this is crucial. He will be also in, in the next couple of days, so we will have the next meetings. “I give my feedback every day or every matchday back to him. What I see is not just about positions, also what is important for us as a group – which profiles we need. “From the skills, from the tools, from a specialist in some areas, I think this is crucial. “It’s not just about the physical speed, it’s also the mindset, how quick is the mind at the moment, how quick you can receive the ball, how quick you can accelerate our game. “I think we need players that have a natural aggressivity against the ball, this is also crucial for me. “And we need players that also understand what it means to play for Rangers. This is also what I feel and learn in the last weeks, which players can handle this environment and which players have to improve. “We have to make the right decisions. This is crucial. We have a big responsibility for us, for the club. “I have a big responsibility now, after we lost Kevin and Patrick. I think this gives me more influence. “Hopefully we make a good step forward. The key is that we are on one page, that it is very clear how we see things and now it’s about preparing everything and have a good shot at the target.” The 36-year-old was asked if players will need to leave before some are brought in. He said: “You need a squad that is not too big but big enough so you can double up positions with good competition. I think this is crucial. “If I say now (we’re signing) five and bring four in, then you will ask me, why just four? “Key is that you bring the right players. If it’s at the end, two or three who can really make an impact, then it’s a good step. “If it’s six, because we could get six out, then it’s also good. “But for me, it’s more about the quality of players instead of the numbers of players.”

Rangers failed to make it five league wins in a row as they drew 0-0 with Falkirk at Ibrox at the weekend. Many of the players that were brought in during the summer transfer window have failed to deliver, one in particular being big money signing Youssef Chermiti who has only managed to bag one goal in 14 appearances since joining the Light Blues. After the draw against the Bairns, Danny Rohl said he has a clear ‘overview’ of what he needs to do in the January transfer window. The Gers are on the look out for a new chief executive and sporting director after sacking Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell last week. Speaking on The Go Radio Football show, Ibrox legend Barry Ferguson believes Rohl knows exactly who he will be looking to offload from the club next month: “He now knows that there are players he want and players that are going to be surplus. “It’s just about who they are and how much money is going to be available in January. “Certainly the squad needs strengthening. If you don’t produce at these big clubs, you are not going to be part of it. “He has obviously spent time assessing them and just listening to the first part of his interview, there is a bit of frustration in there. “There is nothing he can do until the 1st of January but I am sure he has already identified areas that he wants to strengthen. Hopefully he’ll get the backing to bring those players in. “The chairman and owner have made some massive decisions in the last five weeks. They want to put the wrongs right and hopefully this is the start of it.”

James Tavernier equalled Ally McCoist’s European goal scoring record in Rangers’ 1-1 draw against S.C Barga. The captain scored his 21st goal in Europe and is just behind Alfredo Morelos who is the Ibrox club’s top European goal scorer with 29 goals. Tavernier currently holds the record as Britain’s top scoring defender with 145 goals to his name after he slotted away his 72nd penalty for the Gers. The right-back won’t be celebrating too much over the achievement as the Light Blues missed the opportunity to defeat the ten men Portuguese outfit. Speaking after the game, the 34-year-old was disappointed with the result but believes there is still a great chance to qualify for the knockout stages: “It feels almost like a loss. “I’ve got no complaints with Nasser [Djiga]. “Everyone makes mistakes, but ultimately, we should have that game tied up before that even happens. “Being a Rangers player, you have to win every single game, and that’s what the fans require, no matter who we play. “That’s what we have to do from now until the end of the games in this competition. “It’s definitely not over. “We have to be more clinical up top. “I know that if we keep a clean sheet we win tonight, but the game tonight, we should’ve had that in our pocket with the 10 men that we were playing against.” After reaching another milestone at the Govan club, Tavernier said the achievement of equalling McCoist’s record meant nothing to him due to the result: “It obviously feels like nothing right now because you’re fresh from playing the game.”It obviously feels like nothing right now because you’re fresh from playing the game. “I think obviously when my time is done from football, I’ll look back at the achievements. “Ultimately, I wanted to win tonight and get the three points. “If I can help the team, I always will.” Danny Rohl’s men are back in action this Sunday against Falkirk at Ibrox as they look to make it five league wins in a row.

Rangers legend Barry Ferguson refuses to rule out becoming the Ibrox club’s new sporting director following the sacking of Kevin Thelwell.  CEO Patrick Stewart and Thelwell were brutally sacked on Monday after a terrible start to the campaign. The pair were instrumental in the failed appointment of Russell Martin who was sacked after 123 days in charge, and they also oversaw a £40 million squad revamp that hasn’t lived up to expectations. Thelwell received huge backlash for sanctioning the controversial £8 million signing of Youssef Chermiti – a player whose only found the net twice in the last two years. Chairman Andrew Cavenagh says the search for their replacements is under way but insisted there is no rush. The January transfer window is approaching soon and head coach Danny Rohl will no doubt be looking to add some freshness to his squad. Former interim Gers boss Ferguson has been linked with making a stunning return to the Govan club, but this time as sporting director. Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show, the 47-year-old was asked about potentially taking on role if he was offered it. He said: “Listen, in terms of my future I’m very comfortable what I’m doing at this moment in time. You can never say never. Listen, it’s a club that I think everybody knows what it means to me and I just want to see them being successful. That’s the main thing for me.” Ferguson added that he hasn’t been approached by his former club regarding the position but praised Cavenagh with his bold decision-making over the past few weeks. “You’ve got to be fair to the chairman over the last four weeks, he’s made three huge decisions. “He’s changed the manager very early, it was his decision, and now two other high profile people at the club. He is very clear on what he wants to do and how he wants to do it, and if that means making changes so early in his time at the club he is going to make them if you don’t perform.”

James Tavernier is a Rangers legend who arrived at the Ibrox club ten years ago whilst they were in the Scottish Championship and has carried the team for years. This season, he’s doing the exact same again as he’s their top goal scorer with six goals, and four assists. As he comes into the final year of his contract, it’s only right that he gets offered a new deal. It’s been a long journey for the Rangers captain with many ups and downs, but one thing is for sure is Tavernier has always given his all. The stats Tavernier has are nothing short of remarkable and is currently Britain’s highest scoring defender with a staggering 144 goals. The 34-year-old is a polarising figure amongst the Rangers faithful as many criticise him for not winning enough trophies, where as many others acknowledge the fact he’s worked with some poor players and managers. It’s not the right-back’s fault the Gers have only won three major trophies in ten years – there’s only so much one man can do and he’s bailed the club out time and time again. Tavernier was instrumental in the Light Blues’ iconic run to the Europa League final in 2022 as he finished top goal scorer in the competition with seven goals and helped deliver the club’s first league title in ten years. The Bradford born full-back is showing zero signs of slowing down as he’s been the Govan club’s best outfield player so far this season. He’s always fit, rarely injured, and is still hugely important to the team. At the start of the season, former boss Russell Martin dropped him and it was evident how much the team struggled without his presence. Rangers legend Barry Ferguson worked with Tavernier when he was interim charge last season and is baffled at why the skipper is always up for debate. He said on the Five Stars Podcast: “He’s always up for debate. I don’t understand why, I’ll be brutally honest. Maybe it’s labelled at him that he’s not won enough trophies as captain but I’ll tell you what, see as a player he gives you everything. “He’s got real good quality. Looks after himself, always available, doesn’t buckle under pressure and look at the start of the season it must’ve been hard for him because he was out of the team but you never heard a moan and groan from him. “I know what he would’ve done. He would’ve kept his head down and went and worked as hard as possible on the training ground and we seen how much we missed him. “He’s a real driving force and I’m delighted for him.” The Rangers Hall of Famer is set for his testimonial this season and with his Ibrox future uncertain – it’s only fitting that he gets a contract extension. Of course age catches up with everyone, but Tavernier is a freak of an athlete who still has plenty to offer the team. After Rangers won the League Cup two years, thanks to Tavernier’s winner against Aberdeen, Connor Goldson famously said “This football club won’t appreciate James Tavernier until James Tavernier is not here.” It’s a statement that is true because the fans won’t realise and appreciate the contributions of the captain until he’s no longer at the club. Some of the abuse that Tavernier’s endured has been nothing short of a disgrace but it doesn’t phase or affect him. He is without doubt one of the most mentally strong players in the game. Tavernier is playing well under new head coach Danny Rohl and he most definitely deserves to extend his stay at Ibrox.

Rangers have sacked sporting director Kevin Thelwell and chief executive Patrick Stewart.  The under-fire pair have felt the wrath of the Ibrox support due to the poor start to the season and were instrumental in the failed appointment of Russell Martin, who was sacked after 123 days in charge. Thelwell joined the Gers in June and received a huge amount of backlash after he sanctioned the controversial £8 million signing of Youssef Chermiti. Stewart was appointed as CEO 11 months ago, and has been heavily criticised over his poor decision making since taking on the role. A Rangers statement said: “Rangers Football Club confirms it has parted company with CEO Patrick Stewart and Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell. “Rangers expresses its sincere gratitude to both Patrick and Kevin for their leadership and unwavering commitment to the club. “Chairman Andrew Cavenagh and Vice Chairman Paraag Marathe have already begun the search process and, until permanent hires are made, Director Fraser Thornton will assume the role of acting CEO.” Cavenagh added: “Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell are leaving Rangers Football Club. “Responsible change is measured and steady. Our first priority has been to improve the sporting performance, and that led to our decision to part ways with Russell [Martin] and bring in Danny [Rohl]. “Danny has now started the process of improving the on-pitch performance, and that has given us the chance to focus on other parts of the club. “Patrick and Kev are both skilled executives and have delivered a lot for the club in their time with it. “We’ve now had six months since we became part of Rangers to assess the club’s needs as well as to get to know Patrick and Kev a bit more. “Simply put, when we think about what we need in both CEO and sporting director today, it’s different than who we think Patrick and Kev are. “We want people that align with the vision for the next chapter. “I will not throw dirt on either of them. I think very highly of them both on personal and professional levels. “It’s just the reality that the club needs different things today than it did six months ago. “We’ve already started the hiring process and hope to have appointments soon, but we will prioritise quality and fit over speed. “I want to reassure our supporters that Danny will continue to have all the support that he needs. “In the interim, Fraser Thornton, our director, will be assuming the duties as acting CEO. “Change like this is always painful, especially when it involves people we care about. “But at the same time, we’re very excited about this opportunity to bring in fresh leadership to this great club. We appreciate everyone’s continued support.”

Four years on, Jordan Jones opens up about his departure from Rangers and how it still doesn’t sit right with him to this day. The Northern Ireland international and former Gers defender George Edmundson received a whopping seven game ban in 2020 after breaching strict COVID-19 restrictions after attending a house party, which he believes ultimately led to their departures from the Ibrox club. In the 2021 January transfer window, both players were sent out on loan with Jones going to Sunderland, and Edmundson going to Derby County, and neither of them kicked a ball for the Light Blues again. Speaking with the Belfast Telegraph, the winger discussed that infamous night that changed his career forever: “That night, me and George Edmundson, we got caught with the COVID rules. “The rule we actually broke was you were allowed six people in the house and we had 10, so the police came and obviously gave out Covid tickets. “You sort of know the rest. We had to be suspended for two weeks, I had to pull out of the international squad and I missed the Play-Off Final for the Euros. I was fined heavily by the club and it was an absolute disaster. “We did wrong. I fully accept that, we broke the rules but I remember thinking, ‘Jesus, we’re getting made out to be the worst people on the planet’. “I get it. It comes with being a Rangers player. Things get completely blown out of proportion. I said to George once it had died down after a week, ‘We’ve got to apologise, we’re in the wrong with the rule we’ve broken’. “We had four more people in the house than what we should have had, and then it comes out years later that the (UK) Government were doing exactly the same! It’s just like ‘Wow!’ so, anyway, that actually happened. “When we went into Rangers two weeks later, we apologised and the manager was really good with us. He’d seen the amount of grief we took off the media, fans and everyone in Scotland with everyone speaking about it and he was supportive about that. “The plan was to play me and George in the next available game so fans knew it had been put to bed and we were moving forward. Then we got pulled into his office as the SFA had hit us with a seven-game ban. We’d already missed games and that took us to January. “He (Steven Gerrard) said it would be difficult to get back in after pretty much three months out, which I understood, so we trained with the first-team until January and then we were both looking for loan moves. “My partner was pregnant at the time with our boy, who was due in April. Sunderland came in, which made a lot of sense to me because it was 50 minutes from my home so, with a baby on the way, I went there and really enjoyed being at another huge football club. “I hit some good form and then I got a little twinge in my hamstring, which kept me out for a couple of weeks. It knocked me off the level that I was at. “I remember we played Portsmouth away (in March 2021) and it was one of the best games I’ve ever had, to be honest. I got a goal and an assist and I remember thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going again here’, and then at the end of that game, I did my hamstring, so that was frustrating.” Despite only having a short spell at the Govan club, the 31-year-old looks back at his time with fondness. He added: “In my second season as a Rangers player, we won the title. I was on loan with Sunderland when the team clinched it. “I congratulated them on social media and Michael Beale (then the first-team coach at Ibrox) replied, saying, ‘You are a part of this’. The manager (Gerrard) made a point of texting me, thanking me for my efforts for that season and contributing. “There’s still that part of you that thinks, ‘If we didn’t have 10 people having a drink on that night, it would never have worked like this’. Then there’s a part of me that looks back and I’m immensely proud that I’ve played for a football club like that. “People forget a few years before, I had absolutely nothing. I had no team, no employer, no career, so to go from that to turning it around and signing for a club like Rangers under someone like Steven Gerrard, it’s a big thing. As much as I look back with frustration, I look back with pride as well.”

It’s been a tough start for Mikey Moore at Rangers to say the least.  The 18-year-old joined the Ibrox club on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer and it’s certainly been an eye-opening experience so far. Moore bagged his first goal for the Light Blues in their comfortable 3-0 victory against Dundee at the weekend, making it three league wins in a row. There were reports that the young winger could have returned to Spurs as he was struggling for form and game time, but the exciting prospect was keen to set the record straight. Speaking after the win against the Dees, Moore opened up about his struggles in Glasgow and how he never had any intention of going back to his parent club this season. “I think a lot of stuff goes in the media, but I was never ready to go back. “I always knew that at some point it would change and I’ve changed it for myself a little bit in the last few weeks. “But I need to keep building and playing even better than I am, so I’m picking up goals and assists. “I said in midweek that I need to, so I’m happy with the goal on Sunday. “I’m feeling a lot more confident, I’m getting used to the league, used to my teammates and the manager has helped me a lot as well. “He’s come in and he’s given me confidence and belief in myself which has been good from him, so I’m excited to keep going. “I definitely feel as though we’re building momentum. “I think even in our performances, we’re playing better and we’re picking up points in the league, so we just need to keep building on that and taking it game by game because if we look too far ahead, then we might disrupt our performances.”