Gary McAllister: It’s a case of wait and see at Rangers over deadline day

Ibrox club eyeing a midfielder while Kent and Morelos are attracting interest
Gary McAllister felt Rangers 'could do better' despite their victory over Ross County. Picture: PA.Gary McAllister felt Rangers 'could do better' despite their victory over Ross County. Picture: PA.
Gary McAllister felt Rangers 'could do better' despite their victory over Ross County. Picture: PA.

Gary McAllister admits Rangers remain uncertain over whether their squad will be impacted by any significant arrivals or departures before the transfer window closes tonight.

The Ibrox side are still trying to recruit another midfielder while several of their key players, including winger Ryan Kent and striker Alfredo Morelos, have attracted strong interest from other clubs.

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“It’s difficult to comment on who’s going to be in and who’s going to be out,” said assistant manager McAllister, above, after Rangers’ 2-0 victory over Ross County at Ibrox yesterday afternoon.

“At a place like this we are continually looking to improve and try to get better and if something positive happens, that will be good. We just have to wait and see.

“(Sporting director) Ross (Wilson) is in complete charge of that and over the piece since we’ve been here, we have always been able to show a bit of imagination to create a deal 
and make something 
happen.

“If anything is going to happen in terms of some one coming in, it would have to be a player who was close to coming right into the first team.”

James Tavernier’s first-half penalty and a late strike by substitute Brandon Barker gave Rangers the win which leaves them a point ahead of Celtic, having played a game more, going into the international break. But McAllister took more satisfaction from the final scoreline than the manner in which Rangers played.

“The result is very good, another clean sheet here at Ibrox,” he said. “We’re still unbeaten. The performance, I think we can do better. That’s pretty obvious. We were a wee bit bitty, we didn’t get into any rhythm today. Ross County came and made it difficult, got bodies behind the ball. The big lad Ross Stewart up front was a bit of a handful.

“So we are pleased with the result and I thought, performance-wise, the second half was better. After the messaging at half-time, we did better.”

It completed a pleasing week for Rangers after their Europa League play-off win against Galatasaray and McAllister insists they must be ready to cope with the demands of both the domestic title race and European group stage football in the coming months.

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“It was a big game on Thursday night, a pressurised game,” he added. “Moving forward, we have more big games coming up. That is the demand of being here.We want to be in the Europa League, we want to do well in it. So the facts are we have to produce performances Thursday-Sunday-Thursday-Sunday for quite a big period when we come back after the international break.”

McAllister, who reported no major concerns over knocks picked up by Borna Barisic and Connor Goldson during the match, had special praise for captain Tavernier whose fourth successful penalty of the season made it a tally of eight goals in as many games by the right-back altogether.

“It is phenomenal from a full-back,” said McAllister. “There was a period when he missed a couple last year and the penalties went away from him. I hit penalty kicks in my career, I also missed penalty kicks. But James’ technique is superb, it’s second to none. He has now regained that confidence to go and put his laces through it.

“He has wonderful technique and is one of the best penalty-kick takers I have seen.”

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