Rangers have put early-season troubles firmly behind them, mounting an impressive 11-game unbeaten run across all competitions to inject real belief into the Ibrox faithful.

Derek McInnes’ side currently sit just four points behind leaders Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table with a crucial game in hand, while also securing their place in the upcoming League Cup final.

Central to this domestic turnaround has been the midfield partnership of Dan Neil and Nicolas Raskin. The pairing has provided physical screen and stability, allowing the front line to flourish and anchoring the team during a gruelling fixture schedule.

However, McInnes raised eyebrows on Saturday afternoon by selecting natural left-back James Penrice in central midfield alongside Raskin for the 1-0 League Cup semi-final win over Aberdeen, leaving Neil on the bench following a flat midweek display against Hearts.

Alex Rae unhappy with Rangers midfield options, but admits position is already bloated

Speaking on Radio Clyde 1’s Superscoreboard show, former Rangers midfielder Alex Rae admitted his initial shock at seeing Penrice deployed out of position, but stressed that high passing accuracy stats for Neil and Raskin mask an underlying creative deficit:

I was surprised, actually. I thought Dan Neil was poor in midweek. I didn’t think Nico [Nicolas Raskin] was particularly great against Hearts either. I didn’t think either of them dictated the ball particularly well. It was a wee bit of a shock.

I feel as if Rangers need someone to actually just dictate games and pull the strings and make things happen, be more adventurous playing forward. I think Dan Neil and Nico, if you look at the ball retention, they’ll probably be up about 85-90% because they never play big breaking diagonals; they never play really killer balls.

Rae insisted that while the current options are neat in possession, McInnes urgently needs an orchestrator modelled after past Ibrox greats, citing Barry Ferguson and Steven Davis as the exact kind of players Rangers must target:

They are neat and tidy and things, but just in terms of pulling the strings and being the driving force… Someone like Steven Davis or Barry Ferguson would be the kind of guy that I would identify as someone who would do better.

Asked if it is something the Ibrox club must address in the transfer window, Rae responded in the affirmative.

However, addressing this creative void in the upcoming January transfer window presents a logistical headache for the Ibrox board. Rangers currently carry a heavy surplus in central areas, with six or seven players vying for minutes in the middle of the park.

Rae warned that before McInnes can bring in the specific playmaker profile required, the club must prioritise moving some players out of the door:

When you look at the squad of players that Rangers have in the middle of the park, I’d actually go as far as six or seven central midfielders. If anything, they need to get players out of the door before they bring anyone in.

Simply adding another body without clearing existing wage space would create unnecessary squad friction. As the January window approaches, navigating this midfield exit strategy will be critical if Rangers are to sustain their title challenge and maximise their momentum.