Rangers reaction: problematic player surfeit, smallest violin for Union Bears banner, Hamburg love-in

Rangers’ 2-1 pre-season friendly win at Ibrox was the source of various matters to ponder.

Rangers' striker Kemar Roofe made awelcome return from long-term injury on Saturday but adding the striker to Mihael Beale's frontline mix further seems to highlight that the club are top heavy in squad head count. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

The Ibrox side prevailed over German outfit Hamburg thanks to goals from Fashion Sakala and James Tavernier and we take you through three talking points from the match:

Michael Beale’s potentially problematic player surfeit

It is estimated that Rangers manager Michael Beale is currently operating with a 32-man senior pool. His squad overall has certainly raised some intriguing possibilities over how he will blend his battalion of front-liners – Kemar Roofe’s injury return adding him to a pile formed by Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Abdallah Sima, Fashion Sakala and Rabbi Matondo – and he doesn’t lack decent alternatives in almost all areas. These are to be further bolstered with midfielder Jose Cifuentes expected to arrive in the coming weeks, and another forward on the wanted list...as the attempts to tease Brazilian Danilo from Feyenoord continue. However, the fact is his current playing party is unwieldy. And the Englishman would be the first to acknowledge as much. He said towards the end of last season he was intent on paring down the number of senior players. The number of those currently is 31. Instead, he nudged it up courtesy of seven additions and six departures. Now it is obvious that Glen Kamara and Scott Wright are being pushed towards the exit door. Matondo would appear to have little future either – but skatty displays such as he gave in the victory over Hamburg are unlikely to earn him any suitors. Even if all three were to move on it would still leave Rangers manager requiring to shift a handful more to work with his ideal number. A figure that allows for his ideal as all those he is working with daily feel they have a pathway to the first team.

Smallest violin for Union Bears banner

You could be forgiven for thinking that Rangers’ fan group the Union Bears had their very own Nelson Mandela from their banner display at the weekend. ‘8 year ban?/ 8 years we will stand with you/freedom for ultras’ their placards read. Arresting stuff … if you will. This message was related to the fan banning order and breach of the peace conviction handed to one of their members this week. For the crime – the outraged have been relating – of throwing a boiled sweet at a police car last year. The reality is that the presence of officers was the consequence of a large-scale disturbance they were then attending. Furthermore, this footballing martyr had two previous convictions. The judge in the case said it all in stating: “You committed these offences only a couple of months after your previous football ban came to an end. You simply cannot be trusted to go to a football match." Excuse us if we play the smallest violin over his plight ...

Hamburg love-in

Hamburg represent one of Rangers’ cousin clubs, as they might be called, but no-one is precisely sure why. The supports of the two teams certainly have an affinity, as evidenced by a decent smattering of away fans on Saturday unfurling a banner that read: ‘We love you Rangers’. One writer well-versed in all historical elements of the Ibrox club, when asked about the clubs’ camaraderie, pointed to the 1970s. In response, it was put to him it is only since the 1990s there has been an obvious bond. And that this only had appeared to spring up as from then Hamburg twice proved an insurmountable object for Celtic in Europe. At the same time as their support became buddies with those in fellow left-leaning club St Pauli, local bitter rivals for the more renowned Hamburg. A wry smile was offered up by our man over that possible explanation.