Tonight we welcome Bury and a healthy travelling support to Ibrox for our first glimpse of life under Steven Gerrard. I’m excited to be returning to Ibrox and pleased to see we are heading towards 40,000 in attendance.
Of course it will be a chance to see some new faces and some familiar ones, but with a month to go until the season starts for real there is a real possibility that it will not be a true reflection on our side come the first game of the season.
Rangers will be wearing the new home tops after we finally got a glimpse at the new strips after the official release during the week. Hummel have in my opinion completely nailed it and all three are resplendent looking.
We have only had a few weeks under Gerrard so it’s difficult to gain much insight from tonight but we may get small indications of what style of play the manager favours, I expect a busy and high tempo style. I expect the players to hunt and press the ball all over the pitch. I don’t expect our team to carry anyone this season.
I think we will be a lot fitter and I also think we will have a management that are demanding of our players, will not allow players to hide when the going gets tough. Gerrard is a winner and isn’t coming here to accept anything less than the players best.
There has to be a realisation however that this won’t happen overnight and we have to be patient. Gerrard needs time to implement his style and take us to where he wants to be, we have to stick with him whilst that happens.
The squad has had some new faces added, we expect Umar Sadiq to complete his move imminently as the striker is rumoured to be in Glasgow having already passed a medical. He will be the 8th summer signing and we can expect a few more after him.
Speaking of potential targets and transfer rumours, the internet was alive with signing chat yesterday as sources claimed Rangers were firmly in the hunt for Liverpool hitman Dominik Solanke.
We have previously known that Liverpool would assist Rangers and Gerrard where they can, well it seems that Gerrard has made that call to Anfield and registered his interest in as many as FIVE Liverpool players he wishes to take to Glasgow.
Rangers don’t expect to get the Five but from the names given to us, two from five is the desired wish. None of the names involved come as a surprise with most having been speculated before. Ryan Kent, Ben Woodburn, Harry Wilson and Danny Ings join Solanke as players Gerrard has expressed an interest in.
Personally I don’t think Ings is a candidate, since he rejected a new deal he has made it clear he wishes to leave permanently. This would point to a move to another EPL club for money we simply can’t compete with.
But the rumours are strong that Solanke is very much a possibility and Rangers are indeed firm favourites should the player move on. Any move is said to be dependent on what Liverpool bring in and any moves are likely to be weeks away once Liverpool formalise their Premiership squad. That mirrors the case with the other two, nothing is a certainty but it certainly is a situation to watch in the coming weeks as we wait to see if there is foundation to these rumours.
Latest name linked is Millwall defender Jake Cooper, the left sided centre back. Rangers are in talks with Millwall though any deal is in its early stages. Three new centre backs would certainly be just what the fans wanted since last seasons defensive frailties.
With players edging ever closer to the exit door, Bruno Alves and Wes Foderingham the latest names linked with moves away, we can be sure Rangers are not finished in the transfer market yet. It should be an exciting few months ahead both in and out of Ibrox.
But for now we welcome Bury to Ibrox and look forward to welcoming our new manager to Ibrox. Europe is just around the corner and things are beginning to get interesting once more on the pitch for Rangers.
Let’s get behind the new management, players and give Bury a nice welcome this evening.
It would be wrong of me to end this without touching upon the recent news of Dave King and the takeover panel. As tiresome as it is this continues to rumble on but clarification is needed on a few points.
Dave King has proven the funds are there several times. The funds are in an account in his homeland South Africa. He has complied with every request the panel have demanded of him but South African money regulations means he needs time to regulate this and move his money to a UK bank.
King has simply asked for time and been denied, the problem is King is not a man who is forced into anything and will inevitably dig his heels in as he is ‘pushed’ by anyone. We have seen his resolve with anyone who has tried at Ibrox.
This is very much a situation King must resolve but it his own fight and nothing to do with Rangers or the club as a whole. Whilst there are those who will claim King is ‘skint’ and use it to have a dig at our club, my answer to them has always been the very same
Ignore the nonsense, the irrelevant and the noise
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Four Lads Had A Dream 