Will Rohl Take a Leaf Out of Walter Smith’s Book?

Will Rohl Take a Leaf Out of Walter Smith’s Book?

With the transfer window fast approaching, there is a familiar tension among the Rangers support. Anticipation mixed with uncertainty. Yet this time, the uncertainty feels different. So far, there has been very little noise about who Rangers may or may not be signing. No daily rumours. No agents touting players through the press. No endless speculation dominating the back pages. Perhaps that silence tells us more than any headline ever could.

We know signings are coming. That much is obvious. What is equally obvious is that the club is operating in a far more controlled and professional manner than in previous seasons. Rohl, in his press conferences, has said many of the right things about recruitment. Balance. Character. Profiles. Addressing clear weaknesses rather than chasing names. Anyone watching Rangers this season can see where the gaps are, and unfortunately, there are many. The question is not if we strengthen, but how.

Last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Motherwell at Ibrox felt significant for more than just the three points. It was not pretty. It was not dominant. It was hard fought, tense, and at times uncomfortable. But it was a win that mattered. A goal, another clean sheet, and a performance built on organisation and resilience. It was the kind of result that has too often escaped Rangers in recent seasons.

Those are the games that shape league campaigns. The ones where space is limited, patience is tested, and the opposition are happy to frustrate as they always are in Scotland. Rangers stayed in the game, managed key moments, and saw it out. That alone made the result feel like more than just another home win.

It also underlined something else. Rangers need players who understand these games.

One of our standout performers this season has been Connor Barron. He may not be the most expansive footballer at the club, and there are limitations to his game that are obvious. But what Barron brings is understanding. He understands Scottish football. He understands the physicality, the tempo, the relentlessness of the league. He knows when to keep it simple and when to compete.

The same applies to John Souttar. He will never be mistaken for a continental ball playing centre half. He is not flawless. But he knows the league. He knows the types of forwards he is facing every week. He understands when a game needs calmed and when it needs battled through. In matches like the Motherwell win, those qualities are priceless.

This is not about pretending Barron or Souttar are elite level players. It is about recognising that Rangers do not just lack talent. They lack players who instinctively know how to win Scottish games. Players who do not need to learn the league on the job. Players who already understand that sometimes winning ugly is not a problem. It is a necessity.

That brings us back to recruitment.

The appointment of Stig Inge Bjørnebye to assist with the transfer window only deepens the intrigue. His background and experience suggest a more deliberate approach. One that prioritises suitability as much as ability. And that raises an interesting possibility.

What if Rangers look closer to home this window?

It would not be revolutionary. In fact, it would be a return to something that once worked exceptionally well.

Walter Smith understood that success at Rangers was about balance. For every Paul Gascoigne or Brian Laudrup in his teams, there was an Alec Cleland, an Allan McLaren, or a Gordan Petric lining up alongside them. Players often recruited from within our own league. Players who were not signed for glamour, but for reliability. Players who understood Scottish football inside out and knew exactly what was required to win it.

They rolled their sleeves up. They won second balls. They did the unglamorous work. They allowed the better players to flourish by providing structure, discipline, and consistency. Stepping in to allow the bigger names to rest or be protected. Crucially, they knew how to win away from home. On poor pitches. In hostile environments. In tight games where patience and grit mattered more than creativity.

For too long, Rangers have chased solutions elsewhere. Spending heavily on foreign players who looked good on paper but struggled to adapt. Overlooking players within our own league who already possessed many of the qualities we were missing. Even neglecting our own youth system along the way.

There has been a tendency to dismiss Scottish based players as limited. Yet what they often bring is exactly what this squad needs right now. Understanding. Resilience. A feel for the league. A willingness to fight through difficult spells rather than hide from them.

It won’t go down in any history books, but the Motherwell win felt like a reminder of just that. Not a blueprint for how Rangers should always play, but a reminder of what is sometimes required to win titles. Control without dominance. Discipline without flair.

Right now, Rangers do not just need better players. They need the right ones. Players who understand what Rangers is. Who understand Scottish football. Who know that not every victory will be comfortable, but every victory counts the same.

I am hopeful that this transfer window might produce a surprise. A signing that does not set social media alight. A player from within our own league. Not a headline name, but a statement of intent.

If Rohl is taking a leaf out of Walter Smith’s book, it will not be about nostalgia. It will be about common sense.

And that might be exactly what Rangers need.