THERE have been few Ross Wilson deals that have been widely acclaimed by the Rangers support. It is ironic and indicative, then, that the one that will secure his own Ibrox exit has been greeted in such a manner.
The transfer of Wilson to Nottingham Forest has not been a drawn-out affair. It is one that seems to suit the needs of all three parties involved and the timing solves an issue that was looming large for Rangers.
It could be argued that Wilson is jumping before he is pushed. He gets to leave Rangers at a moment of his choosing and on his own terms, he can quit rather than face increasing calls for him to be sacked.
His tenure as sporting director has come at a time of milestone moments for Rangers. Yet there has long been a feeling that the achievements of recent seasons have been earned despite Wilson’s influence rather than as a result of it.
Casual observers from south of the border will look at what Rangers have done on the park and believe that Wilson was the catalyst. Indeed, maybe that is what the board at the City Ground believe and why they are so keen to recruit the 39-year-old.
But that observation overlooks the reality. Wilson was a heralded appointment when he was brought on board from Southampton in October 2019, yet he will depart with his standing amongst supporters at the lowest rating of his tenure.
The foundations of the squad that won title 55 were not built by Wilson. The side that reached the Europa League final, that won the Scottish Cup and that returned Rangers to the Champions League was one which he added to during his tenure but one that he did not improve enough.
Those who buy into the Wilson blueprint and defend his work will say that recruitment is only part of his remit at Auchenhowie and that the record in the transfer market is not how he should solely be judged.
But that wheeling and dealing is the most important aspect of that role, however – be it sporting director or director of football – it is termed. Too often in that regard, Wilson has failed.
Just weeks ago, influential Ibrox investor Stuart Gibson spoke enthusiastically about the job that Wilson has done for Rangers and pointed to the fees received for Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo as ‘massive home runs’ for the club. Wilson cannot take the credit for the trajectories of their respective careers, however, and it felt like Gibson had badly misread the room.
The strength of feeling towards Wilson at the Annual General Meeting was clear but he appeared unperturbed as he defended his record and position.
The problem throughout Wilson’s stint has not been the quantum of the cash that has been spent. It is the manner in which it has been used that has caused so many issues for Rangers and that leaves them in the position they are today.
The board stand accused of a lack of ambition and investment, but a lot of that criticism is unfair and misses the point. Time after time, the corps of money men have, to their credit, dug deep and stumped up to build a team for Steven Gerrard and then back Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale.
But it is one thing to have money available. It is quite another to maximise its benefit. And that is where Rangers, and Wilson, have fallen short too often since their 55 glories.
🗣️ "If there is an opportunity for Ross Wilson to get out at this moment in time it could be best for all parties." Kris Boyd on the reports that Rangers' sporting director Ross Wilson could leave for Nottingham Forest ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/YnW1Q611rH
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 12, 2023
Punts on the likes of Jack Simpson, Nnamdi Ofoborh, Mateusz Zukowski and Juninho Bacuna never looked like working out. The signings of Aaron Ramsey and Amad Diallo still utterly bewilder and depress supporters.
Rabbi Matondo falls into that same category and the winger has proven to be an expensive blunder all round. The deal for Malik Tillman deserves credit and must be classed as a success, but too many others are either written off or are in an average middle ground when assessed against finance, form and fitness metrics.
Rangers do not have enough silverware to show for their investment and Wilson’s reputation has suffered as a result. He became a lightning rod for supporters and his departure is perhaps an admission that it would be futile to even attempt to win them over.
Rangers are heading into a summer where the futures of so many players remain up for debate and Beale has plenty of decisions to make over who goes, who stays and who comes in.
But the position of Wilson had become one that simply could not be ignored. As Rangers embark on a new era with John Bennett as chairman, a fresh start in a football sense will be no bad thing.
Few supporters would have been content with the prospect of Wilson overseeing another transfer window. Not when the record has been so patchy in recent seasons, not when money has been squandered on players who have failed to contribute.
He was branded the ‘director of failure’ by the Union Bears last month and, alongside Stewart Robertson, has been the target of several high-profile protests. The call at Fir Park was that it was ‘time for change’ as thousands of cards bearing the faces of Wilson and Robertson were held aloft.
Wilson was backed in the aftermath by Beale but he had lost the faith of the fans. His position had become untenable, and it was only a matter of time before he left Ibrox, one way or another.
The achievements while his name was on the door will look good on the CV for some time to come. Rangers have been good for Wilson but opinions will be split on how good Wilson has been Rangers.
His departure will be the last deal signed at Ibrox on his watch. It could well prove to be one of the shrewdest moves that Wilson has completed.
