The theory is sound and is backed up by evidence and emotion. Yet the points rightly put forward by those who subscribe to the ideology are easily countered with a simple question.
Yes, Rangers should have a Scottish core of players and, yes, they should sign players from the Premiership. But, right here and right now, who is attainable and who would really make a significant enough impact at Ibrox?
Rangers have pivoted from one philosophy to another in the transfer market for some time now, the lack of stability in the dugout and executive offices resulting in blurred lines and a mix-match of ideas. Supporters recoil when players are linked from the Championship given the list of failures that have made that switch across the border and there is a wish to see Rangers shop in new, potentially untapped markets, like they did to sign Jefte and Hamza Igamane, as well as picking up the best of the local lads.
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Recruitment is not an exact science. Spending money has not been the problem for Rangers. Spending it wisely? Well, that is a very different question.
The squad that Michael Beale inherited from Giovanni van Bronckhorst did not suit his football, while the one that he assembled and then passed on to Philippe Clement was not fit for purpose. Russell Martin oversaw a near £40million spend to suit a blueprint that was flawed from the moment pen was put to paper and Danny Rohl is now preparing to put sticking plasters on the wounds during the January window.
For many supporters and commentators, those bandages should have Saltires on them. The assumption goes that if Rangers shop locally and sign Scottish then they will build a group that can be successful in the Premiership.
Asked about the possibility of making moves for domestic targets last week, Rohl did not dismiss the idea and insisted he was ‘totally open’ to the prospect. Yet he added: ‘For me, it’s not about the market, it's really about in which position the players can help us.’ And that is really what it all comes down to. Rangers need good players, better players, regardless of where they were born or where they are plying their trade right now.
The ‘get it’ factor is often dismissed by those outside of Ibrox, but it has been underestimated by those inside the club of late. Talent only takes you so far at Rangers and mentality – being able to handle the support, the media and the need to win – should be the main consideration in any transfer.
That does not mean that every player must have grown up in the shadow of the stadium and travelled the country on an RSC bus. You only need to look at the joy that Celtic had recruiting from Japan to know that quality players can come from across the globe and make an impact in the parochial world of Scottish football.
This term, Hearts have plucked Claudio Braga, Alexandros Kyziridis and Tomas Magnusson from their data bank and watched them rewrite the form book. If you have the mentality to match the talent, you can be a success here regardless of where you are from. A player with 100 Premiership matches under his belt may have experience of going to Parkhead or Pittodrie, but doing so as a Ranger is a very different prospect.
As is so often the case, the genesis of the conversation comes back to ‘what would Walter do?’ The squad that Smith guided to league and cup wins, and a European final, in his second stint in charge was Scottish at heart, with players who had experience of the league, who knew the club and who understood the game and the city. But that does not necessarily mean that history will repeat itself more than a decade on.
Are the players out there at present to give Rangers that foundation to build on? Of course it would help, but is it realistic for this transfer window or the next? The fulcrum that needs put in place may have to be brought in from far rather than near.
Take the last Scotland squad, the pick of the bunch in our game, as an example. Remove the players already on the books at Ibrox, remove the ones that are simply too good to play here and then remove the ones that are not financially viable.
Who are you left with? Scott McKenna? Perhaps. Kenny McLean? Yes, but there wasn’t exactly an overwhelming clamour when Martin tried to recruit the midfielder from Norwich City in the summer.
Where is the Steven Whittaker or Kevin Thomson in the top flight today? Where is the Steven Naismith or Kris Boyd? Are any of the homegrown players that Rangers could recruit from their Premiership rivals at that level? No. And that is before you add in McGregor, David Weir and the likes of Lee McCulloch and Kenny Miller, those that were Scottish through and through but had English experience.
The obvious rebuttal to the point is Lawrence Shankland. Every goal that he scores for a Hearts side that are still leading the way in the league makes the decision not to sign him on a free transfer in the summer all the more baffling. Clement opted not to seriously pursue Shankland in January 2023 and Martin was not sold on the striker 18 months later as he pursued Rafiu Durosinmi, the Viktoria Plzen forward, before finalising a deal for Youssef Chermiti. That ship has long sailed into the distance now.
Again, a counter argument could be made with the case of Bojan Miovski. Rangers invested around £4million to sign the former Aberdeen striker in the summer and he looked like an oven-ready addition to the squad. He had a track record in the league, had played well against Rangers and is four years younger than Shankland. Everything suggested Miovski should work but it hasn’t in the manner that either party expected it to just yet. There is no such thing as a sure thing in recruitment.
There are more glaring errors from yesteryear. Rangers were not in the position to sign the likes of Stuart Armstrong or Ryan Christie when they emerged onto the scene but the next generation included the most obvious one of all. A move for Lewis Ferguson – son of Derek, nephew of Barry and the profile of midfielder that Rangers supporters take to their hearts – before he signed for Aberdeen or then left Pittodrie also fell into the no-brainer category. How Rangers let Ferguson slip through their grasps remains one of the great recruitment mysteries.
Other cases are less convincing. Would Josh Doig have been an upgrade on Borna Barisic or would Aaron Hickey have displaced James Tavernier? From the players’ perspective, they will look at their respective moves to Italy as beneficial ones for their career and could rightly say that they would perhaps not have progressed as much had they headed along the M8.
Kieron Bowie is the next talent from Edinburgh that will go for big money. Is he worth a £5million-plus outlay for Rangers? If so, would he see Glasgow as his preferred destination?
One former star from the capital that is on the radar is James Penrice. The left-back joined AEK Athens in a £2million move following a sterling season with Hearts and Rangers are understood to be tracking Penrice again just months after he moved to Greece.
The Rangers Review understands Tuur Rommens, the Westerlo defender, is a player of interest to the Ibrox recruitment team. Rommens has been a regular in the Belgian Pro League for Westerlo - managed by former Ibrox coach Issame Charai - this term and was previously on the books of Genk. He has nine caps for his country at Under-21 level and has now emerged as a potential target for Rohl.
Look at those who Rangers have signed from Scotland in recent seasons. John Souttar has been a steady player and professional but is not exactly a fan favourite and talks continue over his long-term future at the club. Liam Kelly does a job as number two and should be kept on at the end of his contract.
In midfield, Connor Barron has impressed of late but Rangers need better and should be able to find it elsewhere, while Lyall Cameron was signed as a squad player and has not progressed from that role.
Bailey Rice was once regarded as better prospect than Lennon Miller. So much for that prediction. Remember, Rangers have the pick of the talent at youth level in our game and cannot get players to emerge from the academy system and into the first team. There is no Alan Hutton or Nathan Patterson around Auchenhowie today.
Further back, for every Ryan Jack there is a Greg Stewart or Scott Wright. Valuable members of a squad? Yes, and important ones in the right group. Players to take you to the next level straight away? Not really, no.
And that is the predicament for Rangers when the need for immediate upgrades and impacts is so pressing. Would an Alex Gogic or Cammy Devlin really make Rohl’s side that much better? In the bigger picture, do they improve your chances of competing on the continent?
The more established Premiership operators have found their level and are unlikely to take Rangers to the next one. At 23, Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise or Zac Sapsford of Dundee United could be worth a punt if the price was right. Elliot Watt, the Motherwell midfielder, is another who supporters have spoken about given the need for central reinforcements and he should be of interest.
As previously outlined by the Rangers Review, it is understood that a No.6 is one of the priorities for Rohl in the coming weeks. A left-back and forward player are also on the shopping list for a window that will see Rangers sign three or four rather than the eight or nine that sections of the support are calling for.
Squad building is a balancing act. Rangers have been on the wrong side of the seesaw of late and continue to pay the price. Right now, is the quality out there in Scotland to make the difference that Rangers really need?
A foundation of Scots, of players with Premiership miles on the clock, would not be a negative. Indeed, it would be welcomed and should be a prerequisite. But only if those potential signings actually have the required quality to make Rangers better. The next batch of recruits need to tick every box, not just one or two of them.
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