The Glasgow giants are facing a massive January window as they look to climb the Premiership table
Rangers legend Mark Hateley reckons Rangers should focus on constructing a winning team before looking to build their much-trumpeted player-trading model.
Gers’ new American owners have repeatedly spoken about their hopes to fund the club going forward by buying young talent on the cheap and then selling on for sizeable profits. It’s a similar tactic to the one Celtic have used to build up their huge £77million cash pile at Parkhead.
But Hateley argues Gers’ bitter rivals were only able to command top dollar for their star performers because they could each boast a heaving haul of medals. And the nine-in-a-row hero believes that if Rangers want to drive up transfer fees at Ibrox, the best way to do that is to underwrite the valuations of Danny Rohl’s squad with silverware.
He said: “First of all, it’s about building a winning team, not a team to sell. It’s not about the style of play either.
“We could have 97.9% of possession and get beat. At Rangers we want goals, goals, goals, goals. Celtic are the same. That’s the way they play and that’s the way that Rangers play.
“I think it’s clear to see since Danny’s been there, there’s been a clear shift in the direction of the team where it wants to go. I think he’s getting that message across. I think we’re getting more shots at goal, we’re creating more goal opportunities, scoring more goals as well.
“He’s getting the maximum amount out of all the players at the moment with this particular group. But if you ask the ownership, they’ll tell you it’s clear that we need new players in the building.
“But Danny is doing well. He’s come into such a hugely difficult situation and has completely changed what we’re doing. The results are there. OK, we’re not strong enough for Europe, and that’s clear to see.
“But if you get your two or three in in January, that could be key. Then you ask, has our player model changed?
“Are we still going to be buying young players or are we going to get some experienced players to bring the younger players on? “For me, I think Danny’s done incredibly well to get the results he’s got in the league. He gets it. It’s about winning. It’s not Russell Martin, who worried about the way we play. It’s about winning.”
There’s not many assets at Ibrox which will produce the kind of return Andrew Cavenagh was hoping for when he teamed up with the San Francisco 49ers to buy a controlling interest last summer. But the chairman might have a decision to make on whether to sell Nico Raskin next month.
The Belgian ace hasn’t hit the heights he reached last season but will likely draw interest when the window opens. But Hateley reckons now might not be the time to offload the 24-year-old with this summer’s World Cup coming up on the horizon.
The former striker said: “Nico is one of the club’s biggest assets. But is he going to take this team forward with a new group of players or not? That’s the big question.
“He’s going to go to the World Cup with one year left on his contract, and he will play, because he’s been playing all the time for Belgium. If he plays, will his value go up? Or is he maxed out with us right now?
“I think he will become a better player. But can we afford to keep him that long? It’s a tricky one. He’s definitely a really, really good player, but he needs to be that really, really good player every time he steps on the pitch.
“Do we keep him? Well that’s the million-dollar question. I’m glad I’m not making that decision.”
Rangers have been left counting the cost of Sunday’s defeat to Hearts, which has left them 12 points adrift of the league leaders with a game in hand. But Hateley is glad to hear that Rohl is refusing to throw in the towel on the title race.
He said: “I don’t think it’s over, I really don’t. I think this still is a three-way race for the title. I think January will be very interesting with players in and out.
“I think Danny’s trying to get two or three in at the moment of a decent level. I think he’s only said he wants players that will enhance the team and who are mentally strong enough to play here. For me that tells you that he gets it. He absolutely gets what Rangers is about.
“He’s afraid to do nothing. As you can see with the team he’s picked and players he leaves out. He left James Tavernier and Raskin out for a big, big game against Hibs last week. He hasn’t got that fear, which is right.
“He should absolutely be following what he’s thinks is best to do and get the results we’re trying to get. He’s done that more or less from day one at league level.
“Now it’s about making the little increments that are majorly important right now for the football club. It’s going to be an interesting next six months seeing where we go.”
Mark Hateley was speaking on behalf of whichbookie.co.uk
