Rangers transfer 'snobbery' questioned as club urged to stay at home amid 'I can't believe' Hearts admission

The Ibrox giants spent over £20million on new recruits after being taken over by the Andrew Cavenagh-led 49ers Enterprises in the summer, but won just one of their opening seven league games, leading to the sacking of former head coach Russell Martin and subsequent appointment of Danny Rohl in October.

While the German manager has been able to drag Rangers back into title contention, the £8million they shelled out on Portuguese frontman Youssef Chermiti continues to be a source of division. The 21-year-old has scored seven league goals since arriving from Merseyside, but has yet to fully convince supporters, leaving former Rangers striker Kris Boyd to admit he is still shocked the club didn’t opt to sign a more proven striker.

"I think Rangers' lack of a natural number nine that's going to score goals right now could come back to haunt them,” said Boyd. “The game's changed. The modern-day striker wants to run about here and everywhere. I think even if you go back to the Motherwell game as well, he [Chermiti] has to take that big chance just before half-time, I think it's got to be a goal. I'm not quite sure that the exact amount of attempts that Rangers had, I think it was around about 31, 32 attempts on goal. I think only one or two were by your main number nine.

"If you are the number nine or the central striker for a club that is going to create the chances that Rangers, Celtic and Hearts are creating, I feel as if you have to do your work between the 18-yard box. I don't see Lawrence Shankland charging about all over the pitch. I see him working in a line towards the middle of the goal. Whether he's dropping off 10 or 15 yards to link the play, but he'll always be in an area where he can affect the game towards the goal, because that's his role and responsibility. But a lot of the time it doesn't seem to be the case right now.

"I'll still look at the decision, even this summer and the previous summer, and I know people might turn around and say it's easy in hindsight now, but when you look at it, I cannot believe that Shankland is still a Hearts player. Whether it's been a snobbery towards the league, I don't know. But when you've got someone in the league scoring goals at the rate that he's scored over a number of years, I cannot believe, not only Rangers, but even Celtic, would not go and take a chance on him. It's not even a chance, because he's proved that he can score goals in the league.

"It doesn't mean to say that Shankland is going to take Rangers or Celtic back to the glory days of Champions League. But what you can do is guarantee them that they'll get a crack at potentially qualifying for it. I think there has been a snobbery towards Scottish talent from both of the big clubs."

Boyd believes the club as a whole are missing a trick when it comes to signing stars from fellow Scottish Premiership clubs, and named Hibs purchase of Josh Mulligan from Dundee in the summer as a perfect example of why Rangers should invest in younger Scottish talent in the years ahead.

“Everybody's saying why didn't they go and get Mulligan at Hibs,” explained Boyd. “ I think that there are cases. Has it worked with Lyall Cameron? I think even with Connor Barron, there was a lot of people that started saying, this is never going to work. Now all of a sudden, a lot of Rangers fans are saying we are a far better team when Barron's in it. Now all of a sudden, a lot of Rangers fans are saying we are a far better team when Barron's in it. So there are talented players there that need an opportunity.

"I think some people can handle the demands and the pressures of playing with the Old Firm better than others can. But that doesn't mean to say that, you blank the talent in Scottish football, because I don't think it's right. I'm not saying Shankland is Scotland's number nine, but he's definitely going to be in the squad when he's fit. Why would our big ones not take a chance on him?”

Kris Boyd was speaking on behalf of William Hill, the SPFL’s title partner. Check out the weekly preview show here.