18 Jun 2025 18:41:23
So going by our first team squad and what we have available, I honestly can't see us not making serious headway into recruitment pronto.
GKs-Butland
Kelly
Munn
Defs- Souttar
Nsiala
Propper (likely leave)
Jefte
Ridvan
Tavernier
Davies (likely leave)
Sterling (Injury prone)
Mids- Raskin (could leave)
Diomande (could leave)
Barron
Cameron
Rice
Bajrami (could leave)
McCausland (Likely leave)
Dowell (likely leave)
Cifuentes (likely leave)
Fwds- Dessers (could leave)
Matondo (likely leave)
Cortes
Danilo
Igamane
So just for example, let's say that all these players out go that's only 16 first team players. If nobody leave we have 25. Looking at that list though we severely lack quality and experience. I'm just hoping we have some class lined up.
18 Jun 2025 19:08:59
Bbj,
I posted earlier - based on our current first team squad we have two 'spaces' that we will look to fill.
After that it's effectively one in and one out - and we have a few out goings that are close to being finalised and a few that are dependent on transfer chains.
For pretty much every player we are in a good place in terms of their replacements.
Given this, I think we'll see a similar line up to last season in the CL qualifier, which I don't see as a bad thing.
18 Jun 2025 19:13:34
Bbs they may leave but we aren't going to let them go before ECL if it doesn't suit us. transfer window doesn't close until 1 September so lots of time. That squad in the main managed to get to 1/ 4s last year.
18 Jun 2025 19:39:32
Missing King and Frazer from that list who are not youth players anymore, Frazer older than Jefte.
Add in the boys who were training/ promoted to first team Nsio, Hutton and Curtis. Gives you squad of 25 plus 5 development (Munn, Rice, Curtis, Hutton and Nsio)
We may not need to sell before we can buy for financial reasons but we can't go and buy all these players and have a crazy squad size. Current size of 25 + 5 is probably at its max of where it should be.
Cameron and Cortes were already agreed.
In for Aarons as cover for Sterling.
Poku is needed as only 1 RW currently in Mccausland.
Honestly i think there are deals agreed in principle but won't make any official move until players move on.
Unless we shift certain players i can't see anyone else coming in.
18 Jun 2025 19:41:36
You don't see as a bad thing? Jesus Christ ehl our defence was rotten last season.
18 Jun 2025 19:44:19
Coisty, I tip my hat to you!
18 Jun 2025 19:51:41
That's my point though, if we only bring in 2 players that's not exactly a stronger Rangers than last year. In fact worse overall, losing Cerny's goals and assists is a big lose.
Don't disagree Coisty at all but my point remains we need to improve not stay the same or even worse regress by having to keep all those players we couldn't sell.
18 Jun 2025 19:56:02
So EHL the strategy for this year is hand the league title to Celtic again and don't try and qualify for the CL because we can't have a big squad?
Surely this isn't rocket science. Loan out all the players not good enough, particularly those with 1 yr left on their deals and bring in better ?.
18 Jun 2025 20:02:34
Strom, personally I'd rather start a defense that's familiar with each other and has experience experience of playing in European football - than a full new backline that's only had 4 weeks and one friendly.
I'm pretty confident that we'll see Butland, Tav (or Sterling) Souttar and Jefte start the game.
Personally, I hope to see Nsiala also start.
18 Jun 2025 20:03:26
Balagon / Cerny being missing is a big one for play offs if nothing happens in transfers, early season and the heat in Greece is another couple of reasons we could be up against it, still think plenty of time for things to happen tho.
18 Jun 2025 20:07:56
Storm that rotten defence got us to 1/ 4s of Europa league last year so weren't that rotten.
18 Jun 2025 20:14:10
BBJ, but we don't have a magic wand? We have to operate within the Uefa rules, so we have to manage the cost of the squad - therefore unless we can move players on we can't sign players.
No one is disagreeing that we want an overhaul or that we'd want it done before the qualifiers.
It's just highly unlikely - so we need to be realistic.
18 Jun 2025 20:32:16
Bigblue, exactly! Defense was a shambles.
Davies not good enough
Propper not good enough
Ridvan injured all the time anyway
Jefte not good enough yet
Nsiala not good enough yet
Sterling injured
Tav. had my say on him already
Then we have the goalkeeping situation that let's be honest isn't the best either!
18 Jun 2025 20:40:21
Fantastic idea Zikos - why haven't the 49ers thought of that?