A disastrous start to the season saw Andrew Cavenagh bite the bullet and sack his manager, sporting director and chief executive
18:38, 27 Jan 2026Updated 19:35, 27 Jan 2026
Kevin Thelwell and Russell Martin(Image: SNS Group)
Rangers have admitted that ‘insufficient attention’ in their recruitment process led to the wrong transfer targets being identified last summer.
Under previous manager Russell Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell, Gers emerged from the off-season window with a net spend of £20million, shelling out on the likes of Youssef Chermiti, Oscar Cortes, Thelo Aasgaard, Djeidi Gassama and Oliver Antman. A disastrous start to the season saw Martin get the boot in October after just 17 games in the hotseat, and he was quickly followed by Thelwell and former chief executive Patrick Stewart.
Stewart has since been replaced by Jim Gillespie who has arrived at Ibrox from St Mirren but are yet to fill the vacancy left by Thelwell. And while some of their signings have now came good under Danny Rohl – most notably defender Emmanuel Fernandez – board member Fraser Thornton acknowledges that mistakes were made on the transfer front in the summer window after notes from a meeting with the Rangers’ Fan Advisory Board on January 14 were made public.
They read: “Fraser Thornton acknowledged that, in hindsight, insufficient attention had been paid during the summer recruitment window to the mental and cultural demands of playing for Rangers.
“While technical ability and data-led analysis had been central to decision-making, there was recognition that this had not always been balanced adequately with considerations such as leadership, resilience, and the ability to perform under sustained pressure.
“The concept of the ‘weight of the shirt was discussed extensively, with agreement that this is a defining factor for success at the club.
“It was also noted that Andrew Cavenagh has invested considerable time meeting former players and key stakeholders to better understand the expectations of playing and working at Rangers.
Rangers Chairman Andrew Cavenagh
“It was further noted that the club has redefined the recruitment process itself. Player signings are now subject to more extensive collective scrutiny, with a broader group involved in detailed review and consultation, and decisions taken through a more collaborative, group process rather than being driven by any single function.”
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