Another massive summer at Ibrox beckons
[BBC] Another barren season for Rangers is at an end, followed by an endorsement of the manager by the chairman Andrew Cavenagh. Supporters had begun to have their doubts about Danny Rohl's ability to bring success to the club and they will desperately hope they are not once again in the position of having to get rid of a manager early next season. That has been an all-too-familiar scenario in recent years, but Cavenagh and the Rangers board believe Rohl has shown enough to merit a proper pre-season and a summer transfer window to really put his stamp on the squad.
There is so much work to be done in revamping the squad, with a handful of players leaving either at the end of their contracts or loan deals, with others needing to be moved on because they are simply not good enough. That will leave a relatively small core of trusted individuals around whom Rohl will try to assemble a winning team. Cavenagh was clear this week about the type of player required: relatively experienced, mentally tough and with sufficient ability to immediately improve the first team.
Such players are unlikely to come cheaply, though the Rangers board appear willing to put their hands in their pockets again, despite no Champions League income. It is, yet again, a massive summer at Ibrox. How many times has that sentence been uttered over the years?
Fans will hope for early news of new signings to reignite the excitement that was extinguished by four devastating defeats in a row, the league title going from a genuine prospect to a forlorn hope within a couple of weeks. This time last year, the takeover gave supporters belief they could end Celtic's stranglehold on the title. Instead they were helpless bystanders as Martin O'Neill and his side earned a 56th crown, a scenario that must have unfolded agonisingly before their eyes.
Will next season be any different? We shall see.