Rangers brought in three new faces during the January transfer window.
Pundit Michael Stewart has told BBC Sport’s Sportscene that he thinks Rangers’ January transfer business fell short of the mark – and is particularly bemused by the signing of goalkeeper Jak Alnwick.
The Gers have endured a nightmare seven days, as they were hammered 4-1 away at Heart of Midlothian on Wednesday, before suffering disappointment with a 1-1 home draw against Ross County.
Rangers are not only a staggering 27 points behind league leaders and Old Firm rivals Celtic, but have now slipped out of second place, sitting third behind Aberdeen.
General view outside the stadium before the match
Manager Mark Warburton is back under pressure again having enjoyed some fine results towards the end of 2016, with some pinning the blame on the club’s January transfer business.
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Warburton added two new faces to his midfield early in the window, as Jon Toral and Emerson Hyndman arrived from Arsenal and Bournemouth respectively, penning loan deals until the end of the season.
Port Vale’s Jak Alnwick
There was still time for one more deal, with Rangers swooping to land goalkeeper Jak Alnwick from Port Vale, with the ex-Newcastle youngster signed to backup Wes Foderingham following Matt Gilks’ move to Wigan.
After a couple of disappointing results, pundit and former Rangers youth ace Michael Stewart has offered his view on the club’s transfer activity, suggesting they were lagging behind Hearts.
Stewart added on BBC Sport’s Sportscene that the deal for Alnwick was ‘very, very strange’ given that Rangers paid to sign a backup goalkeeper, and the pressure is mounting on Warburton.
“Mark Warburton is undoubtedly under a bit of pressure,” said Stewart. “Hearts recruited really well in January, whereas Rangers have brought in a few players, and although they’re not bad, I don’t think they’re exactly what they need.”
“[Alnwick] is a very, very strange one. I think they still lack a deal of penetration, and getting a draw at home against Ross County is not the result that Mark Warburton would have been looking for,” he added.
What do you think of Rangers’ January signings?
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