Rangers and the damning starting XI statistic that flies in the face of Ross Wilson mantra

It was a case of in with the old and out with the new for Rangers when the team sheet dropped for their Champions League clash with Napoli at Ibrox Stadium. It was the first time in 12 years a group stage game in UEFA’s premier competition had been hosted in Govan – and two of the Light Blues XI were involved in the last game.

But the sight of Allan McGregor – who proved his worth as he rolled back the years with two penalty saves only to be beaten at the third attempt from 12 yards – and fellow veteran Steven Davis lining up against Napoli more than a decade after facing Manchester United in the competition wasn’t even the biggest indictment of the club’s recruitment.

No, it was another statistic that has really placed a huge question mark over the signing policy: that nine of the Rangers starting line-up were at the club in Steven Gerrard’s FIRST season. The Liverpool and England legend, of course, took over four-and-a-half years ago and eight of those nine were there at the close of the summer transfer window, with Davis arriving midway through that campaign.

So that line up flies in the face of sporting director Ross Wilson’s mantra as footage surfaced from the former Southampton transfer guru outing his approach at the club. “One of the things I always say to my staff at the training ground is having a ‘What’s next?,’ mentality,” he said.” When we’ve done something, what can we do next? Without being reckless, without being kamikaze but making sure we have a clear plan to keep moving the club forward in all of the areas because football doesn’t stop and we definitely can’t stop. We have to keep our foot to the floor. We have to keep moving forward and remember the club we represent.”

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