Scott Arfield believes that some members of the current Rangers squad will be quickly moved out of the building after falling short of expectations.
Several of Michael Beale’s summer signings have come under major criticism for their performances over the course of the season with some suggesting they are simply not the right fit for the Ibrox club.
Arfield was moved out of Rangers in the summer after Beale had taken over and he has watched on from afar this term with him now playing his football in the MLS with Charlotte FC.
The former Ibrox midfielder has been impressed with some of the new talent on show, but he agrees that others have not lived up to their billing.
He explained: “Some of them have taken their opportunity and really adhered themselves to the fans and some of them have probably fallen a bit short of expectation.
“Everybody says how hard it is to acclimatise to the Old Firm but I don’t think you really understand until you become a Rangers player or a Celtic player. It’s a different sort of life. Some people come in and take to it and run with it and others it takes them a wee bit longer.
“I think there are probably more so in the latter category. But you need to put demands on the players there to tell them. There will be a language barrier there too so it’s up to the more senior players to let them know and carry them on.
“There will be some that fall by the wayside and get moved on in the next year or two and there will be others who will probably be here for a few years.”
Asked if more Scottish-born players who know the cause are needed at Ibrox, Arfield continued: “Possibly. But you’ve still got Lundstram there, Connor there, Tav there. I know they are English accents but they know what it is to be a Rangers player. They have been there long enough, Tav especially.
“Even off the field, you’ll quickly get told this is what it means and this is what the fans demand.
“It takes some players a bit longer to acclimatise and get going. There are players who are going through a rough time, there’s no doubt about it, and goals can change everything for certain players.”
Arfield is also delighted to see his former side still in the title race, despite a slow start to the campaign under Beale.
He added: “It didn’t look great around October. It would have seemed surprising then that they could have a game in hand to bring the gap down to two points at this stage of the season.
“Celtic were flying at the start of the year, obviously new management had come into Rangers and then hit a bit of speed bump. It’s Scottish football; it’s what happens with title races.”
