Reporting note: this article draws on Sky Sports; PGLive provides the summary and editorial framing.
Recruitment Scrutiny Follows Winless Start Under Derek McInnes
Former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday has defended manager Derek McInnes following a four-game winless start at Ibrox, pointing the blame directly at club leadership for systemic squad imbalance and flawed recruitment strategy.
Rangers recently exited the UEFA Europa League qualifiers against Polish outfit Jagiellonia Bialystok and suffered a 2-1 defeat to Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership. The early-season slump has placed immediate pressure on McInnes, who took charge following a turbulent off-season restructuring.
Squad Imbalance and Transfer Collapses
Despite adding nine new signings during the current transfer window, Rangers saw a proposed £6.5 million move for PSV winger Couhaib Driouech collapse after a medical examination flagged a significant physical injury issue. The breakdown of the transfer left the squad short of pace and direct width in attack.
Speaking on the team news and recruitment strategy, Halliday highlighted structural flaws across the roster:
"Derek McInnes is doing the best that he possibly can with what's at his disposal to try and get results. At this moment in time, he's not found that solution... If you've signed 27 players in the space of 12 months, then you've got so many decisions wrong."
Halliday noted that the current composition leaves McInnes with limited tactical flexibility, citing an over-concentration of similar central midfielders alongside a deficit in wide positions and defensive flanks:
- Defensive Depth: Only one senior left-back and three recognised centre-halves currently available.
- Attacking Profiles: A documented shortage of pace and creative tempo controllers, with only two natural wingers registered.
- High Turnover: 27 incoming player movements across the previous 12 months without clear foundational upgrades.
Board Stance and Next Steps
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh defended the recruitment department during a recent shareholder Q&A, stating his belief that the overall squad quality has improved relative to 12 months ago. Club executives confirmed plans to target three to five additional signings before the transfer window closes to address positional deficits.
With domestic league fixtures mounting and European group-stage qualification off the table, McInnes must rapidly stabilize defensive transitions and extract immediate output from a reshaped dressing room.
A single strip of discarded, unstretched zinc oxide tape lay coiled on the dugout bench beneath the cooling floodlights.
