Former Rangers ace Lee McCulloch has claimed that a core of Scottish players is the only way forward for the club after Pedro Caixinha’s expensive foreign overhaul.
He hailed imminent new midfield arrival Andy Halliday as the biggest “Rangers man inside that dressing room” when his loan spell is cut short in Azerbaijan and he arrives back.
Former Gers boss Caixinha, who was sacked in October after just 229 days in the job, made nine summer signings, seven of which were from overseas.
Most have failed to live up to expectations at Ibrox, with Mexican internationals Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera particularly disappointing.
Many of the summer recruits look like they could be on their way out of the club already, with deals being lined up this month.
Now McCulloch, who was part of Walter Smith’s cull and subsequent local recruitment drive in 2007, says that a similar operation is the only way forward for the club now.
Speaking to the Daily Record, McCulloch said: “Looking back, Walter had clearly decided he had to bring a Scottish spine back to the club. He wanted to surround himself with players who knew what it meant to wear the jersey and who could handle the pressures involved. The core of the group were Scottish boys, many of whom has played together for the national side.
“Walter knew he could depend on us to give everything to the cause and that’s exactly what Graeme Murty will be looking for right now. I’d go as far as to say it’s the only way the club can move forward right now if it is to get back on its feet because there’s no doubt Rangers have been in danger of losing their identity over the last couple of seasons. What they need most of all is good players who know what playing for Rangers is all about.”
Rangers look set to complete their second signing of the January window, with Brighton winger Jamie Murphy set to arrive on a £2million deal, and McCulloch has lent his backing to the move.
“Jamie Murphy will be an excellent signing because he’s a very talented football player and I’m delighted that Andy Halliday is returning to the club because I don’t think there will be a bigger Rangers man inside that dressing room. With O’Halloran also coming back and players like Ryan Jack, Graham Dorrans, Jason Holt, Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller already in the ranks you can see the nucleus of what Murty is trying to put together. It’s very similar indeed to what Walter did back in 2007,” he said.
OPINION
McCulloch is absolutely right. Rangers need to establish a core of players who really know what it means to play for the club before they can go on to better things. With so many foreign players arriving in the summer, the dressing room would undoubtedly have been split. That needs to be eradicated, and replaced by a group that show togetherness and passion for the shirt. The success of Walter Smith’s similar move in 2007 shows that it is the way forward, and Murty must lead the charge this month with some good recruitment.