Rangers bring in recruits near end of window
A few out as well though
It has been quite a busy time for Martin Bain and all concerned at Ibrox over the past few days. Yesterday saw the club book a place in the League Cup final and sign up David Healy on loan but things really got moving this morning with the shifting out of James Beattie.
Rangers spent over £1m on Beattie on the summer and the striker responded with 0 goals in his time at Ibrox. Blackpool have taken the striker off Rangers’ hands and with the Ibrox club unlikely to call in their option to extend Beattie’s contract at the end of the season, it may well be the last we have seen of the striker in Scotland. A bad buy, it has to be said.
Rangers also announced that Andrius Velicka was being released from his contract and was heading to Switzerland. The striker has barely been around Ibrox in the last seasons with a nightmare injury at Bristol City and then an injury hit time at Pittodrie leaving the striker very short of games. Rangers had spent £1m on Velicka but unlike Beattie, the Lithuanian striker managed 4 goals in 4 starts and 8 games in total.
At the time of writing, the talk is that Andy Webster has gone to Hearts after being released by Rangers but this is still to be confirmed. It would make sense for Rangers to have released Webster as the player has never managed to make anything from his long spell at Ibrox.
Given his starring role at Tannadice last season, you wonder if Webster has psychological issues preventing him from making the team at Ibrox as opposed to anything relating to football. However, returning to Hearts sounds like a strange move considering his fall-out with that club at the end of his time there.
That is the outgoings but Rangers brought some players in today as well.
19 year old Kyle Bartley has arrived on loan from Arsenal after a spell at Sheffield United. The player admits himself that his time at Brammal Lane was not the best but this move to Ibrox gives the defender the chance to get some game time. It is likely that Bartley will initially fill in for Webster (ie watching the team) but if he is as good as he is supposed to be, Bartley could allow Walter Smith to bring some freshness to his defence and allow some rotation to occur.
The last signing is certainly an eye-catching one and it sees El Hadji-Diouf signing on loan until the end of the season. This is a player who is never far from controversy and it will be interesting to see how he gets on in the Glasgow goldfish bowl.
A lot of big managers have spent a lot of money on Diouf in his team and he has provided moments that lit up the game. Heck, even that old guy Pele has called Diouf one of the best players!
However, there is definitely a darker side of Diouf and even though his experience at Celtic Park many years ago will probably put a smile on many Rangers fans faces, it is not as if that is the only controversial moment in his career.
However, it is a new chance for the player and a lot will be expected of him.
So – Healy, Diouf and Bartley in with Miller, Beattie and Webster out….where does this leave Rangers at the end of the window?
In comparing Miller with Healy, you would have to say the arrival of Healy isn’t of a level to match Miller so for that one, Rangers have dipped in quality.
Beattie for Diouf is a no contest as Beattie was a complete disaster at the Ibrox side so that one is in Rangers favour.
The last signing, well, it is hard to say how often Bartley will play and how he will adapt to Scottish football. It is easy to say that you don’t need much to improve on Andy Webster but the jury will call this one a draw…which means the overall score is a draw as well.
Rangers fans are probably happier about the fact that Miller was the only key player they lost during the window and that Nikica Jelavic has returned from injury. There are a lot of games for Rangers to play in February and their new arrivals will be expected to play their part.
A good window at Ibrox?
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I happy that Diouf has joined Rangers. They deserve each other. When the transfer was first proposed a vast majority of fans on Rangers websites called him scum and worse. When it was confimed a lot of them changed their (flute) tune.
Diouf has had his share of well documented issues on and off the field of play, it has to be said that he doesn’t come across as a likeable character. That said his footballing ability is not in question, should Walter man manage him properly then I can see him being a big hit in the SPL, he was certainly liven up the opposition supports that’s for sure!
I have to question your comment though Neil, they deserve each other. What exactly do you mean by that?
Beattie was a signing that excited me initially and after his debut against Kilmarnock, he looked like he would be a big player for us. Sadly he looks like his tank is empty and I fancy myself to beat him in a 100 yard sprint. Whether Rangers paid £1M for him remains to be seen, I doubt it to be honest and it’s more than likely some creative accountancy to make things look better for the fans. Whatever the figure and wages, it didn’t work and I wish the big fella well at Blackpool.
I know nothing of young Bartley other than Wenger rates him, having witnessed Arsenals problems at the back then I don’t know if thats a good thing or not.
Healy, well he will either run riot and score goals week in week out, or he will be another Francis Jeffers. Hopefully the former and a goal against the Jambo’s tomorrow would be the perfect start. I think i will have some of that with Ladbrokes.
It’s disappointing to have lost Miller, a player that was in sparkling form and scoring crucial goals. It has certainly evened the title race up and I would perhaps go as far to say that Celtic are now slight favourites given the depth of their squad and their recent run of good form.
Game on!
Ok Quagire I was being a bit facetious, I admit. Apart from the spitting at Celtic fans this guy has a terrible record as a sportsman. I was implying that GRFC don’t have a good record either. Surely you understood that. The Catholic non-signing position we all know about. No point getting into that argument again.
I looked at a Rangers website when this was first muted and almost to a man they were against this signing. I was actually quite impressed by some of the comments. I’m not a big fan of Neil Warnock but I think his comments are relevant.
Quagmire, sorry I got you’re name wrong.
Deary me the non catholic signing policy, such a policy that we had many catholics on our books long before your old friend mojo smashed the myth. Anyway that’s in a bygone era.
I’m sure Mr Lennon will be able to forgive his misdemeanors on the pitch, after all he was the one that spat on a Rangers scarf at the side of the pitch in an old firm game and then preceeded to call the bench Orange Bastards, football get’s a bit heated at times you see. But that said, I don’t condone any of Dioufs actions and alleged actions recently. I will judge him on his spell at the club, he is a player alright and he will light up the SPL both on and off the park as it’s now a hate figure for the opposition fans to abuse. Hopefully some of the dreadful abuse that McGregor has endured will fade now, the worst of it perpetrated by Dundee United fans (how the irony) and indeed the Celtic fans at the last game at Ibrox.
What’s your views on Roy Keane Neil? I seem to remember him being lauded as a major coup for the SPL when Celtic signed him (he was done at that point right enough). This was the guy that openly admitted in his autobiography that he intended to end Hangelaands career in the Manchester derby, something that he achieved sadly. That was premeditated and worse than anything that Diouf has done in his career.
Quagmire Rangers Non Roman Catholic signing Policy did not come into effect till after ww1 Due to the Ulster Protestant Population working @ the Shipyards.Hence the reason they had already signed Roman Catholics FYI the word catholic with a non capital c is not a religion.
‘There’s not a team like the Glasgow Rainjurs’ indeed – they’ve managed to persuade a rat into join a sinking ship!
lol you have to laugh the whiter than white celtic football club . but i have noticed a rise in the standard of refereeing over the last month or maybe its celtic winning .
Have you really jiz? Can’t say I have seen a rise in the general calamitous standard of refereeing at all. What games have you been watching? Rangers games you say?
Also, why are you laughing at ‘the whiter than white Celtic Football Club’???? Come on, tell us what has tickled your funny bone.