Rangers have signed almost a full team’s worth of players this summer with manager Pedro Caixinha getting the backing of the Light Blues’ hierarchy to stamp his authority on the Rangers squad after the departure of Mark Warburton.
Big signings have been made with the likes of Graham Dorrans, Bruno Alves and Alfredo Morelos arriving to improve what was already there and impress fans in their initial appearances for the side.
However, with lots of work to do to close the gap on last season’s champions Celtic and compete with runners-up Aberdeen, more work needs to be done before the Gers can be happy with their business.
Caixinha admitted this week they were still working on deals before Thursday’s deadline, so fans can look forward to a frantic final day of action in the market.
What do the club need? We’ve identified THREE areas the Ibrox side could do with strengthening….
More quality on the left flank in front of Lee Wallace
With the signing of Daniel Candeias on the right flank, Rangers are already looking solid on one side of the pitch. The new arrival has combined well with full-back James Tavernier to create a partnership that is adept in attack but also defensively responsible. It’s made the world of difference and if Rangers are to compete for honours this season then they need similar quality on the left hand side.
Lee Wallace is a fantastic left-back at Scottish Premiership level but does not have the natural left-sided player in front of him that he needs to reach the heights of his game.
Barrie McKay often did not work hard enough in a defensive sense last season and Josh Windass is filling in despite being unnatural in the position so far this season. A quality left midfielder or hard working winger would bring fantastic balance to the Rangers team and is arguably the top priority heading into the last day of the window.
Another central defender to compete for a place beside Bruno Alves
The Portuguese partnership of Fabio Cardoso and Bruno Alves is what Pedro Caixinha has gone with at the start of the 2017/18 season and at times it’s looked like an accomplished pairing, although there is little depth behind that partnership should one of them get injured.
They’ve also only managed to keep one clean sheet in four matches of the Scottish Premiership so far, perhaps a sign that Cardoso could do with more competition for that defensive slot beside the experienced Alves.
Bringing in another defender in the closing stages of the window would be a real boost to the squad, especially if it was one that could cover not just the central areas but also on the right or left.
The Light Blues are hoping to have extended runs in the Scottish League Cup and Scottish Cup and that could see the fixtures mount up, so it’s vitally important Caixinha has the numbers needed.
A more creative midfielder to add spark to attack
With the signings of Ryan Jack and Graham Dorrans, Rangers have a very solid midfield partnership that already has them looking more composed in the middle of the park than they were last season. The question is though, is it too pragmatic?
The Light Blues don’t really have that wild card spark through the middle of the pitch that can be so vital in breaking deep defences down in the Scottish Premiership, especially at Ibrox.
Resorting to constantly feed the ball out wide will be easier for tight, compact defences to deal with and adding a central midfielder who has a real attacking nous could be trans-formative to the team.
Whether it’s an out and out ‘number ten’ or an all-rounder who can slot in beside Dorrans, creativity is needed and adding that on the last day of the window should be a top priority if they can get a deal done.
