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BBC pundit baffled by Rangers Dutch transfer failure amid Giogos Giakoumakis Celtic success
Giorgos Giakoumakis’ success at Celtic shows that Rangers could have found good value transfers in the Netherlands, according to Kenny Miller.
In light of the Gers’ recent struggles, with much of their summer transfer business so far failing to pay off, the BBC pundit is baffled as to why under pressure manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his staff haven’t tapped into the market they know the best for recruits.
Greek forward Giakoumakis has scored 25 Hoops goals since signing before the start of last season, and with a Dutch manager and coaching staff at Ibrox Miller feels there has been a significant missed opportunity.
In his Daily Record column on Sunday (20 November) he said: “One thing I’ve heard from fans is: ‘We’ve got a Dutch manager so why haven’t we signed Dutch players?’.
“I get that, given Gio’s background, he has a Holland legend in Roy Makaay beside him along with Dave Vos who worked at Ajax. At Celtic, Ange Postecoglou has signed players from Japan and Australia that he knows well.
“You do wonder if there aren’t players Gio and his staff have worked with previously in Holland who they could have got for the same outlay.
“Gio knows the demands at Rangers and what type of character and personality is required to succeed at the club.
“So they must have looked at players in Holland who he feels could do a job. But for whatever reason, they’ve not been able to get them in.
“They’ve been linked with Xavi Simons, Joey Veerman and Danilho Doekhi in recent years but haven’t got deals done.
“You’d think the Dutch market would be affordable to them. Celtic signed Giorgos Giakoumakis from VVV-Venlo for less than £2million so they could certainly have dipped into it.”
Good question
The Dutch league is a selling league on the whole, and Miller is right that it makes sense for managers to stick to what they know, at least early in their time at a new club.
That hasn’t happened at all at Rangers under Van Bronckhorst, with the only major business going the other way with Calvin Bassey’s move to Ajax.
While there are a few signings that make a lot of sense, and some that have come good so far, there certainly seems to be an element of taking a punt on players in recent windows, with a hit and miss result.
With money supposedly now available to spend in January, and a major job to do on the pitch since it is now looking like the club might stick with Van Bronckhorst, they are going to have to improve that record significantly.
Unfortunately for Gers fans there has been too much of a discrepancy in the efficiency of the transfer business on either side of Glasgow in the past year and a half.
That has allowed Celtic to wrestle back control of the SPFL, when Rangers should have been operating from a position of dominance following the 55th title win, and given Van Bronckhorst and his side a mountain to climb on the other side of the World Cup.
In other Rangers news, there’s been a worrying update already on one Ibrox transfer target.