Organised Chaos: And Time Is Running Out For Rangers To Resolve It

Organised Chaos: And time is running out for Rangers to resolve it

Another poor result. Another performance that leaves more questions than answers. And, already, Rangers are staring at what can only be described as an awful start to the season.

McInnes was brought in to give Rangers organisation, structure and resilience. We haven't seen enough of any of those things. Instead, we are watching a team that looks unsure of what it is trying to do, while some of the in-game decisions are only adding to the frustration.

Nobody expected Brazilian-type football under Derek McInnes.

That was never the expectation.

What Rangers supporters wanted was something different: a team with heart, determination, character and a willingness to dig deep when things aren't going their way. A team capable of winning ugly when necessary. A team that could grind out results while a new squad learned to play together.

Instead, what we currently have looks like organised chaos.

Rangers are struggling to score goals from open play, while regularly conceding at the other end. There doesn't appear to be a clear identity developing, and some of the basic aspects of football are proving difficult for players who are being paid significant sums of money.

Simple passes are going astray. Balls are being played behind teammates. Possession is being surrendered cheaply. Attacks are breaking down because of basic technical mistakes.

For a club of Rangers' size and expectations, that simply isn't good enough.

And while Derek McInnes has to take responsibility for the performances on the pitch, he cannot take all of the blame for a recruitment strategy that appears increasingly difficult to understand.

Andrew Cavanagh, as owner, has to shoulder responsibility too.

Ultimately, the owner is responsible for ensuring the right people are running the football operation. If the same problems continue to appear in recruitment, squad building and footballing strategy, then questions have to be asked about the people making those decisions.

The recruitment team also deserve scrutiny.

Rangers have brought in players who, at least at this moment, don't appear to complement one another. There doesn't seem to be enough balance, enough quality or enough players capable of immediately raising the standard of the starting XI.

That's the most worrying part.

Recruitment shouldn't simply be about bringing players through the door. It should be about building a team.

At the moment, it feels like Rangers have accumulated players rather than constructed a squad.

And Rangers are now in a very difficult predicament.

The transfer window still has a few weeks left, and that gives the club an opportunity to change the direction of this season. But if the owners are serious about doing something this season — and serious about building a Rangers team capable of competing properly going forward — then the next five or six signings have to be different.

They cannot be projects.

They cannot be players brought in simply to increase numbers.

They cannot be players who need six months to settle before we know whether they are good enough.

Rangers need quality.

They need players who walk through the door and immediately become starters. Players who improve the team from day one. Players who have the technical ability, mentality, physicality and character required to play for Rangers.

If Rangers bring in five or six players of that standard, the complexion of this squad could change dramatically.

But if the club continues recruiting players who are merely squad options, we could find ourselves having the same conversations in January — and potentially much worse ones by the end of the season.

I'm not holding out much hope that Rangers will suddenly get everything right.

But the window is still open.

The opportunity is still there.

And the Rangers support will quite rightly be demanding that the people running this football club use it.

Because right now, Rangers aren't just struggling for results.

They are struggling for direction.

And that is a much bigger problem.

William HATW1872