For Rangers, the sale of Nikica Jelavic always felt inevitable. After joining Rangers from Rapid Vienna at the start of the 2010/11 season, he found his feet quickly, and was in good form when a reckless tackle from Ian Black in a match against Hearts injured his ankle, keeping him out of action until for several months. His form returned quickly after he regained fitness, and he ended his first season in Scotland with 19 goals in 27 games. After form like that, English clubs came sniffing, with Rangers claiming to have rejected bids of over £7million towards the end of the summer transfer window.
He was prolific again this season, with 17 goals in 28 appearances, and there was renewed speculation about his future throughout January. West Ham seemingly came close to agreeing a deal, before Everton made a move. After a day of negotiations, it was announced during the first half of Everton’s 1-0 win over Manchester City that Jelavic had agreed to sign for the club, and he was paraded before the fans during half-time. With just hours remaining before the transfer deadline, Rangers made a bid for Norwich captain Grant Holt. Norwich rejected the offer, and when the deadline passed, Rangers had failed to replace Jelavic.
This leaves Rangers boss Ally McCoist desperately short of striking options. Having lost Steven Naismith to a season-ending knee injury in October, McCoist is left with just four strikers in his squad; Kyle Lafferty, David Healy, Kane Hemmings and Andy Little. Not signing a new striker could do serious damage to Rangers hopes of retaining the SPL title, and fans will be unhappy about the timing of Jelavic’s departure, and how Rangers tried to find a replacement.
There are plenty of targets for Rangers fans to aim their criticisms at too. There’s new owner Craig Whyte, whose tenure as owner has been a tumultuous one, as fans believe he has failed to live up to some of the promises he made over transfer funds. An ongoing tax case with HMRC is another problem, as Rangers could face a massive fine and administration if a court rules them. The club’s scouting network is also a source of frustration, with questions lingering over the abilities of former players Neil Murray and John Brown to identify targets.