Rangers

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

As hectic as their schedule might have been, Rangers would clearly have preferred to be preparing for a Champions League play-off this midweek rather than having the week to themselves on the training ground.

The full ramifications of that defeat by Dynamo Kyiv will not become clear for a while, but in the short term it has made an already testing squad-building exercise all the more difficult.

A scenario in which a club, operating without a chief executive, has made it known it cannot buy players before selling and has publicly put a for sale sign round individual players’ necks leaves it open to low-ball offers from others.

Despite these travails, Rangers have actually looked decent in patches at the start of this season, though there remains a requirement to turn those patches into more consistent periods, with new signings Vaclav Cerny and Jefte offering signs of promise.

But the debacle over the Ibrox renovation in addition to the issues in the transfer market has worn down the goodwill of a significant section of the fanbase, as evidenced by the gaps at Hampden against Dynamo and even more so St Johnstone.

Philippe Clement has acknowledged the fans’ right to be disgruntled and knows only a winning team will win them back over.

On the face of it, that should be delivered on Saturday against Ross County, but a much stiffer test awaits beyond that in the shape of Celtic away the following Sunday.

It will be interesting to see to what extent Clement has been able to mould a new squad by that point, with the transfer window closing as that weekend begins.

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Clubs in Scotland are failing to bring through enough young players, a report, external by the Scottish FA has said.

The governing body says Scottish football is "significantly underachieving its potential" in youth development compared to countries of a similar size.

Using a range of data to compare leagues across Europe, it shows players under the age of 21 in Scotland are playing fewer minutes in the top-flight than countries such as Denmark, Norway, and Croatia.

Meanwhile, game time for young Scottish players in major European club competitions ranks below countries with smaller populations and fewer resources, such as Montenegro and North Macedonia.

It also stresses clubs are missing an opportunity to reduce wage costs and increase transfer revenue by developing their own players.

The report was commissioned by the SFA's professional game board at the end of 2023, and a working party comprised of SPFL and SFA representatives will now consider its findings.

Read the full story

Former striker Lee Miller, who turned out for Dundee United, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock among others, recounts his experiences of being on the move on transfer deadline day during his playing career.

Listen and subscribe to the Scottish football podcast on BBC Sounds

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Rangers have "asked for information" about the availability of Fiorentina winger Josip Brekalo, 26. (Nicolo Schira on X), external

Portuguese media suggest Rangers have held talks with Benfica about winger Tiago Gouveia, 23. (Record), external

Rapid Bucharest are plotting an ambitious bid to bring Ianis Hagi, 25, back to Romania from Rangers this summer. (Pro Sport via Record, external)

Meanwhile, Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers, 29, has reportedly rejected a move to Atlanta United. (Record), external

The settlement of a legal dispute between Elite Sports Group Ltd and Rangers has now been finalised in writing. (Sun), external

Cagliari are preparing an offer for Salernitana defender Domagoj Bradaric, 24, while AEK Athens, Real Valladolid and Parma are also said to have made enquires about the Croatia international, who has been linked with Rangers. (Sport Italia via Record, external)

Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, 21, who has been linked with Celtic and Rangers, is a target for Burnley. (Fabrizio Romano on X), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

We saw some small signs of progress on Saturday night. It was 2-0 going on five or six, and Craig Levein and the St Johnstone team can thank Josh Rae for keeping the score down.

There were many good performances individually such as Jefte, who was excellent at left-back. He drove the team on and he and Rabbi Matondo were a constant threat to the St Johnstone defence.

Robin Propper is showing what he is all about – cool and calm in the backline and a good passer.

Also, it was great to see Danilo get 45 minutes even if his finishing was a bit rusty. We play Dundee in the quarters and should be reaching the semi-final but with this Rangers team, nothing is certain.

There are 10 days left of the window and there is lots of work still to be done on the squad. Yes, we all know it won't be solved in 10 days, but we must see players who are offering nothing moved on and quality brought in.

I feel for the manager; he isn't perfect by any means. However, with a Celtic away fixture on the horizon, he will be taking a spoon to the gunfight if the board do not back him properly in the next 10 days.

Given the one-in, one-out scenario we find ourselves in, I find that unlikely.

What a situation to be in, though. It's not even September and the most exciting thing as fans we have to look forward to is getting back into Ibrox.

We shall see what happens, but in the meantime, we have to ensure we get three points against Ross County on Saturday.

Former Rangers manager Michael Beale says he took a wage cut to return to Ibrox as manager from Queens Park Rangers but would not have taken the job had he known that so many key figures would leave the club. (Mindset for Sport podcast), external

Former manager Michael Beale says Fashion Sakala was the only forward he wanted to keep during last summer's high turnover of players with Rangers but that the Zambia international had a much better offer from Al Fayha. (Mindset for Sport podcast), external

Former manager Michael Beale has revealed that, although Nicolas Raskin was a free agent, Rangers paid £800,000 for his services, while fellow midfielder Todd Cantwell was completely free. (Mindset for Sport podcast), external

The Scottish FA has informed St Johnstone that referee Matthew MacDermid did not blow for a foul before Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers scored the opening goal during Saturday's Premier Sports Cup match at Hampden Park. (The Herald), external

Rangers are on course to be back at Ibrox by the end of next month after taking delivery of the third and final shipment of steel in the timescale outlined by chairman John Bennett for renovation of the Copland Stand. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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"A wee bit awkward" or a "sign of solidarity"? Perhaps the answer is somewhere in the middle in relation to Rangers' post-match celebrations on Saturday.

After dispatching St Johnstone in the last 16 of the League Cup, players and staff of the Ibrox side stood arm in arm and bounced and chanted along with the last remaining supporters at Hampden.

Rival fans have since poked fun at it, but former Rangers striker Rory Loy believes it was manager Philippe Clement's way of trying build unity amid a problematic summer.

"I can understand why Clement and his staff wanted to do that," Loy said on BBC Sportsound.

"It wasn't a celebration of a home win against St Johnstone, it was a show of understanding and sympathy with the support given what’s gone on at the club.

"Clement and his staff want unity and that was their way of trying to build that. But the timing of it is possibly questionable."

Meanwhile, fellow former Rangers forward Steven Thompson added: "It was a wee bit awkward. I think it was a sign of solidarity. But winning a cup game so early, I was cringing a wee bit."

Rangers have opened talks with Italian club Salernitana over a loan deal for Croatian left-back Domagoj Bradaric. (Nicolo Schira on X), external

Bayer Leverkusen have received a £3m offer for Gustavo Puerta from Brondby in Denmark, dashing Rangers' hopes of landing the Colombia midfielder on loan. (Alan Nixon, external, subscription required)

St Johnstone have asked for clarity on Rangers' controversial opening goal on Saturday and the audio file will now be reviewed by the Scottish FA in a bid to piece together a proper timeline of events. (Scottish Sun), external

Read the rest of Monday's Scottish gossip.

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Holders Rangers will host Dundee in their Premier Sports Cup quarter-final tie next month.

Phillipe Clement's side defeated St Johnstone 2-0 on Saturday evening, while Tony Docherty's Dark Blues thrashed Airdrieonians 6-1 earlier in the day.

The game will take place on the weekend of 21-22 September.

Read the draw in full here.

We asked you for your views after Rangers started their League Cup defence with victory against St Johnstone.

Here's what you had to say:

Robert: Getting through to the next round was the positive. The negative was a far from convincing performance. The biggest problem is in midfield where Rangers lack a dominant player who can control the game and create chances. Also Tavernier does not look fit and gives possession away far too easily. And the celebration afterwards was OTT.

John: We need to sign Lawrence Shankland now. The fans need a lift and only a signing of a player we know will provide it. I see the new signings as no better than those who have left so the future is far from bright.

Ross: The performance seemed a bit better than usual, but I think the goal was a bit lucky. We deserved to win and we were by far the better team (nice change) but still, you can't rely on goals that may not have been given by other refs.

Tom: Not impressed with our usual struggle against a team that sits in. Size of crowd reflects how boring we are to watch. Still obsessed with making a hundred passes when in our own half. Barron at least adds some much needed pace and energy to our turgid team.

Steve: It's important to look at the positives. Jefte played very well given it's not his natural position. Cerny caused problems down the right until he tired. Barron was our best player when he came on. He's a very intelligent and gifted player.

Ernie: They can't even play school boy football its horrible to watch This big punt up the park wont do in modern football. Clement's has his own players their not much better than the cattle that was already there.

Sally: Dessers is the one shining light for Rangers. If only he had more creative players around him. Rangers once they have scored become extremely negative. Given the number of muscle injuries sustained a question arises with regards to training? The board need to decide priorities and give Clement the funding he needs.

Finlay: You can see that Clement's plan is taking shape and all his players are improving. I could see Barron becoming the next star and many others too. Good finishes from both Dessers and McCausland which won us the game. We will now keep our eyes on the Old Firm which may be crucial if we are going to try and get the title this season.

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Cyriel Dessers was delighted to play his part in Rangers' first step to defending their League Cup title as he eyes back-to-back triumphs.

The striker came off the bench against St Johnstone at half-time on Saturday to fire Phillipe Clement's side ahead - eventually - after a VAR review.

Once he was finally able to celebrate his third goal in five games, he got involved again by setting up Ross McCausland for Rangers' second to secure their progression into the last eight.

"We had the feeling of wining the League Cup trophy last season and it is an amazing opportunity to win something early in the season," Dessers told RangersTV.

"This was the first step, but it was a necessary step.

"It would be a dream to get to another final and win it, so we have to take it step by step and round by round, but this is a good first step."

On the wait for his goal to be confirmed, he added: "When you are waiting for VAR, you have to be patient. It was a tough moment as we were waiting to go 1-0 up at an important moment.

"I was happy we got the goal."

Rangers look set to appoint St Mirren vice-chairman Jim Gillespie as their new chief executive. (Scottish Sun On Sunday), external

Hull City are leading Rangers, Anderlecht, Brondby, PAOK and Red Star Belgrade in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Gustavo Puerta and are now in pole position to agree a loan-to-buy deal for the 21-year-old. (Football Insider), external

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement: "I think we saw a lot of positive things, good offensive football, dominance, and a lot of chances, one key point is to be more efficient with the chances, it has to be a game where you score four or five goals today for me and that’s what we need to do in the fruit.

"A lot of good movement without and with the ball, giving the right pass, and finding the right spaces with new players coming in, for example, I think Jefte played a very good and dominant game.

"Big congratulations to our recruitment team for finding a player of that level at that age for that price, in two months I think his value will be much bigger than for the amount that we bought him."

On Dessers opener, he added:

"I didn't see the images back but I had a feeling when I saw the action live that the referee doubted about the fall of Cyriel, but he made the right decision, he’s doubting, so he didn’t whistle and waited until after the game was dead. [He then decided] if it’s a goal or not together with his team to make the right decision.

Rangers progressed to the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup thanks to substitute Cyriel Dessers' hugely controversial opener and a late Ross McCausland dink that sealed victory over St Johnstone.

The holders were on top for most of the match at Hampden but struggled to make the breakthrough until Rabbi Matondo played in Dessers, who tangled with defender Jack Sanders.

Referee Matthew MacDermid seemed to give that as a foul before Dessers danced into the box and produced a fine finish but the goal was ruled out until VAR intervened.

St Johnstone were left furious when the strike was ultimately awarded as they clearly felt play had been stopped by the referee.

Click here to have your say on the match., external

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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You can’t look past the decision-making that led to Dessers’ goal. Rangers deserved the win but the way they got there is worth further scrutiny. The opener was crucial and it seemed inconceivable that VAR got involved given the referee appeared to have stopped the game before the decisive action had occurred.

That aside, Rangers did look very strong in getting into promising forward areas but too often lacked the clinical edge that would have made this considerably more comfortable, as they looked to move past their Champions League exit hangover.

The sparse “home” crowd didn’t help lift that but job done as far as they will be concerned. They’re through and results are vital right now.

A fresh injury to new singing Robin Propper is another concern as he looked to add something defensively. That is heightened by the fact the back line did look uncertain on occasion.

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Jefte was a real bright spark coming from a deep left-back position with Ridvan Yilmaz out through injury.

He seemed to shrug off his midweek frustration against Dynamo Kyiv and contributed greatly to this outcome.

Philippe Clement makes five changes to Rangers' starting XI from the side that lost their midweek Champions League qualifier to Dynamo Kyiv.

Ridvan Yilmaz, through injury, Connor Barron, Tom Lawrence, Ross McCausland, and Cyriel Dessers are all out.

Incoming are Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell, Rabbi Matondo, Vaclav Cerny and Danilo.

Image source, SNS

Rangers: Butland, Tavernie, Souttar, Propper, Jefte, Sterling, Dowell, Diomande, Cerny, Matondo, Danilo.

Substitutes: Kelly, Barron, Dessers, Davies, King, McCausland, Fraser, McKinnon, Rice.

St Johnstone: Rae, Raymond, Cameron, Sanders, Neilson, MacPherson, Carey, Wright, Sidibeh, M. Smith, Kimpioka

Substitutes: Sinclair, May, Clark, C. Smith, Sprangler, McPake, Kirk, Olufunwa, Franczak

Rangers manager Philippe Clement says he will not walk away from the position despite admitting he has "a massive job" on his hands to improve the Ibrox club's fortunes. (Daily Record), external

Leeds United are not seeking to bring Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo to Elland Road at this time, despite a report suggesting interest in the 23-year-old Wales international. (Yorkshire Evening Post), external

Rangers target Hannibal Mejbri will only leave Manchester United on a permanent deal, making it difficult for the Ibrox club to secure the 21-year-old midfielder. (Football Insider), external

Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers and Wigan Athletic are among a host of clubs set to watch St Johnstone striker Adama Sidibeh in action against Rangers on Saturday as they weigh up a move for the forward. (Pete O'Rourke on X), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Premier Sports Cup holders Rangers will look to put Tuesday's Champions League qualifying defeat by Dynamo Kyiv behind them on Saturday as they host Scottish Premiership rivals St Johnstone in the last 16.

It means Philippe Clement's side return to the national stadium having won just one of their four outings this season - Saturday's narrow defeat of struggling visitors Motherwell.

Rangers' temporary home amid Ibrox renovations was far from full to watch them against the Ukrainians. How many will turn up to see them against less lauded opponents from the east after such a European body blow?

Craig Levein's visitors have had a mixed start to the season but arrive on the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Kilmarnock, albeit the hosts were down to 10 men for most of game.

The form of Benjamin Kimpioka, with six goals already this season, and fellow striker Adama Sidibeh, with four, has led to media speculation about their futures and scouts will be keen to see how they test a Rangers defence that lost left-back Ridvan Yilmaz to injury on Tuesday.

Indeed, St Johnstone have not scored in the latest five meetings between the sides since winning at McDiarmid Park in November 2022.

Saints lost all three meetings last season by an aggregate of 8-0 and they have suffered four straight defeats away to Rangers since a penalty shoot-out Scottish Cup win at Ibrox in April 2021.

Read the Premier Sports Cup preview in full here.