10 May 2026 20:48:36
Seen a post today on X and thought I'd share as it's something myself and others have eluded to. One of the biggest problem areas in our team is one of the least spoken about. We speak about the goalie, the defenders, the wingers and attackers but our midfield is a massive issue.
None of them are "specialists". They are average across the board at most metrics. Decent tacklers, ok passers, fine dribblers, all poor goalscorers.
We don't have a tempo setting 6 who can control a game like a Davis or Ferguson. We don't have an absolute destroyer of attacks like a Hemdani or Thomson. No creator like a Hagi and no goal scoring midfielder like arfield. Nobody that can bang one from 30 yards like a Mendes or Albertz.
Until our midfield have some bloody identity and work ethic the rest is mince as well.
10 May 2026 21:24:44
100% agree, they all do very much the same, which amounts to very little, safe ball etc.
10 May 2026 21:28:05
I might be wrong, Ayrshire, and it would be good to get your views. I think we continue to sign players who see Rangers as a stepping stone to a bigger league. In principle, I don't disagree, we do, however, need to balance this strategy with a parallel view of signing players who want to be at Rangers. I can't help but think we continue to wet the bed when it matters because the players just don't care.
I remember EHL saying the players are trained to drop a bad result and move on. I don't want a full team of this attitude, if I'm honest, I want people who hold a grudge and this result will haunt them for years. We're missing that. Some people say you need to be Scottish to get this mindset, ok not sure on this, I think it's a mindset and one we've been missing for the last 10 years. Players just don't care.
10 May 2026 22:12:17
Dado, that's why for the love I can't understand the "it's not mentality" from Dr. Totally get, bad result put it behind you. That's a cognitive approach, it's not physical.
However, not focusing for 90 minutes is a cognitive weakness, it's not physical unless you are physically done. Not having the desire, fight or will to take chances or risks is a cognitive issue.
Feck sake, lack of confidence is a cognitive issue. Managers protect players from criticism to keep them cognitively strong. It manifests itself sometimes through physical lethargy, but it's still cognitive at its roots.
Dr has indicated it's about not following tactics and instructions and being lazy. Unless I'm fecked, being lazy is a cognitive issue. ?
10 May 2026 23:46:42
Windy, Danny Rohl very much knows it's mentality or as he's called it lately. Character. Like others have said, he's not going to come out and say aye, I'm away at the end of the season. He's also not going to come out and say aye the players are cowards.
Calling them lazy or mentality is a part of it or in moments, the mentality is good and others bad is saying mentality is a problem without throwing them under the bus completely for me.
Dado, I think we signed too much youth and inexperience. We don't have older heads and we don't have players who work themselves into the ground as they know this is the pinnacle they'll reach. In the past we've had Whittaker, Broadfoot, Rae, Novo. All players that after playing for us weren't going to go to a much bigger club.
10 May 2026 23:47:11
The fact Rangers need a 6 is spoken about, and often. On the Rangers Review they have been saying that Rangers should have pulled the trigger and got a 6 in January as opposed to waiting until the summer. That would tie in to some of the rumours on this site and other places linking us with players who fill that position (Dahl). It's been quite clear for some time now that we lack a 6.
In fact, we have lacked a number 6 since we got promoted. Warburton brought in Barton and Rossiter and neither worked out. The closet we have gotten to it is Ryan Jack. Kamara could perform the role but lacked dig.
I'll say again, Sterling played as a BWM in that number 6 role against Celtic under Clement and was the best player on the pitch. Why we refuse to play him in that position baffles me. At the start of this season Sterling said his best position was in midfield. If asked to break up play, and perform simple lay offs, I think he could do that no problem at all. Most of the support never talk about this, they only want him at RB because 'I hate Tav'. But Sterling could absolutely be doing a job for us as a ball winning midfielder shielding the defense.
11 May 2026 00:25:57
Rohl, if you read that and only saw the need for a 6 I don't really know what to tell you. The 6 is a massive issue, but we also don't have a midfielder who can play the final pass or crash into the box for a cut back. Our midfield are all very samsey.
I see an FM player there, Mr Cheese, with the BWM. But a 6 is more than a ball winner. They are the tempo setter and line breaker. Hence me mentioning Davis and Ferguson. Yes, a 6 could be a destroyer, but they are mainly used as the guy everything goes through these days.
We need a pure box to box like Raskin, Chuk and Dio, a sitting tempo setter like Elliot Watt, and we need a more creative midfielder than could play that 10 role like Elijah Just.
We do need the other positions, like wingers and defenders and a new keeper, but we need a midfield identity ASAP.
I would like to aim above those players, but just highlighting what we're missing.
11 May 2026 06:13:26
I absolutely agree with you, Ayrshire, and oh what I'd do to get a no.6 playmaker in the mould of Barry Ferguson or Steven Davis. ? You're absolutely bang on the money here, as most definitely we need a no.6 playmaker/tempo setter who dictates the pace of the game for us depending on what the situation is during games. ? I also agree and have said as much that we should go and get Motherwell midfielder Elliott Watt as he's absolutely the type of no.6 midfielder we need and won't break the bank that some other no.6 style midfielders playing in other European leagues would cost.
? If we do sell Raskin and Dio and hope somehow we could also sign Lewis Ferguson, make him our new captain and build our team around him. ? Over to you, Mr Cavanagh, our recruitment team and Danny Rohl. ?
11 May 2026 07:56:30
Dahl isn't a 6, RWC.
It's 100% mentality, been saying it for a while.
If you control games, you have a better chance of winning them. It's common sense. We haven't controlled any of the last 3 games.