The title might come with a whole host of responsibilities for ensuring the positive progression of a football club. But in the end the sporting director will almost always be judged on one facet alone. Recruitment.
Ross Wilson knows that as he prepares for his seventh transfer window at Rangers - and his first with Michael Beale as manager. At Ibrox his role might also take in the progression of the academy, ensuring its philosophies align with the first team, the infrastructure at Ibrox and Auchenhowie and the club’s vast scouting network.
But when all is said and done it’s the players who come in the door and the cash that arrives for those departing Edmiston Drive which will determine how successful the sporting director is at any club. In the three years since he arrived from Southampton Wilson has played his part in delivering a first title in a decade, a first Scottish Cup in 13 years, a stunning run to the Europa League Final and a return to the Champions League group stage.
But his record in the transfer market has come in for serious scrutiny in a season which has seen the club fall nine points behind Celtic in the Premiership title race on the back of a torturous return to the Champions League top table.
The summer window which saw last year’s standout performers Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo depart for a combined fee close to £30m has also seen well over £10m splashed out for Antonio Colak, Ben Davies, Ridvan Yilmaz and Rabbi Matondo - with a sliding scale of success.
And it’s that inconsistency in wheeling a dealing which has led to accusations from sections of the Light Blues support that recruitment in the last three years has not been up to scratch.
For every John Lundstram and Antonio Colak there’s been a Juninho Bacuna and Amad Diallo. Wilson accepts some things could have been done better. But he insists he’s proud of the job done so far.
He said: “With humility you look at some other work you have been part of and you will say ‘I wish I hadn’t done that’ or ‘I wish I had done that a bit better’. Certainly from my perspective I know the mandate I was given on the day I walked in the door here and I am absolutely sure I have delivered on my part of the mandate so far.
“But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things I wouldn’t look back on and say ‘I could have done that bit better, I could have done that bit better’. I am certainly proud of a lot of the work and there is still loads of work to do here and a load of work to do in the coming windows for sure.”
One of those mandates was undoubtedly to transform Rangers’ transfer model into one where they buy young and develop along with their own academy products then sell on for healthy profit. Wilson could point to the fact that for the first time in an age the club posted an operating profit thanks in no small part to the sale of Auchenhowie graduate Nathan Patterson to Everton in a deal that could reach £16m.
Another profit is likely next year thanks to the sales of Bassey and Aribo. But its results on the pitch that concern the support.
Gio van Bronckhorst paid the price for a lack of those so far this season. Now it falls to Michael Beale to transform their fortunes on the park - with the next transfer window just a few weeks away to help that.
Wilson is confident the board will back the duo as they look to add quality to the ranks. He said: “I think what we have always said - and what Michael also mentioned - is that anything that we have ever asked of the board they have backed as much as they can.
“Once the squad has been further assessed by Michael we will have another plan for January and the summer as well - definitely for the summer as well. I am sure the board will look to support that as much as they can.”
Van Bronckhorst broke his silence on his sacking last week with a thinly-veiled dig at the board over “unique challenges and some very difficult circumstances to operate in”. Wilson insists the Dutchman’s place in Rangers history is assured - even if his success in Europe and the Scottish Cup couldn’t save him from the axe six months later.
He said: “I definitely want to put a word on record and thank Gio for his contribution here. I think it was Michael who used the phrase ‘class act’ and I spoke to him every day since he left, and he is a class act.
“He left three huge marks in Rangers’ history, the Scottish Cup coming back last year, the European final of course and heading back to the Champions League were huge things for us. Last week was a whirlwind and incredibly intense as we interviewed people in London.
“We met a number of candidates who were all excellent candidates, and we are thankful for them. However, we know Michael very well as a person and coach and we are excited.
“I am excited because I see the look in the players’ faces and I can see them working hard every day and I can see them working with an identity I know Michael wants to work towards which is absolutely aligned to where the club wants to go.”
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