Keith Jackson: Rangers may have ‘bigger problems’ after John Bennett comments about Ross Wilson
Keith Jackson has predicted “bigger problems” may arrive for Rangers after John Bennett’s glowing review he gave Ross Wilson when he left the club earlier this month.
After joining Rangers in October 2019, Wilson accepted an offer to become Nottingham Forest’s chief football officer this April, and his departure was met with a club statement from Bennett praising the job he had undertaken at Ibrox.
Writing in his column for the Daily Record (1 May), Jackson questioned Bennett’s praises of the former sporting director and suggested that the Chairman could come under scrutiny if he carries on in the same vein.
“Sporting director Wilson may have left with something of a fanfare but the glowing tributes with which he was showered on his way out of the door to Nottingham Forest seemed on the extraordinarily generous side.
“New chairman John Bennett led the happy-clapping and it is to be hoped this was nothing more than a polite gesture of goodwill.
“Because if Bennett actually believes Wilson was indeed the real deal in his role heading up recruitment, then Rangers may have bigger problems to come.
“Bennett himself will come under scrutiny now that he’s shuffled into the big seat and on a positive note he presents himself as a far more polished and accomplished leader of men than the previous two at the head of the table.”
Upheaval
The Scottish Cup defeat to Celtic was a match that displayed a plethora of issues within Rangers as a football club.
Although Michael Beale’s side wasn’t completely played off the park, the ageing nature and lack of options the Englishman had to play with were stark.
Wilson must take the flack for such poor recruitment over the last few years, and this summer is therefore going to be full of change.
Hopefully, Bennett’s praises of the former sporting director were not held behind the scenes because if they were, there could be more disappointment to come for Rangers.
Beale can’t single-handedly run the show this summer, and Bennett needs to provide the necessary backup around the Englishman to help him bring in the fresh faces he so desperately needs.
The former QPR manager highlighted that as many as a dozen players could be set to depart Ibrox at the end of the season, highlighting just how poor Wilson was at building a squad which could compete for the Scottish Premiership title over the past couple of years.
In other Rangers news, official club partner makes ‘End of the road’ claim after 1-0 loss v Celtic in Scottish Cup semi-final.