The key Rangers decision that could prove more important than £35m spent at Ibrox

Kirk Broadfoot identifies Rangers decision that could prove more important than £35m summer spending spree

Rangers may have welcomed 14 new players through the Ibrox door during a hectic summer, but former Light Blues defender Kirk Broadfoot believes one decision stands above the rest.

For Broadfoot, the smartest piece of business was not necessarily one of the club’s headline additions.

Instead, he has highlighted Rangers’ decision to retain Manny Fernandez, with the towering centre-back continuing to impress under Derek McInnes.

Broadfoot, who remains fiercely competitive judging by his antics at the Tennents Sixes, was involved with the Rangers side that reached the final before losing to Celtic. He will now put that rivalry to one side as he prepares to face his former club as part of Neil McCann’s coaching staff at Kilmarnock.

The Killie backroom team will have the unenviable task of trying to stop a Rangers side that has suddenly found its stride.

McInnes’ team entered the international break on the back of consecutive victories over Celtic, having first defeated their Old Firm rivals in the Premier Sports Cup before repeating the feat in the Premiership at Celtic Park.

Those results have transformed the mood around Ibrox after a difficult opening spell.

And while Broadfoot has been impressed by several of Rangers’ summer recruits, Fernandez has caught his eye more than anyone.

“Obviously good, because they’ve played Celtic at Parkhead, and got a clean sheet,” Broadfoot said when assessing Rangers’ defensive options.

“I think a big one was keeping big Fernandez, keeping him here. He looks like an unbelievable player.

“I just think Fernandez is an all-round athlete. He’s good on the ball. He’s very good in the air. He’s confident. He can probably do what he wants in the game, to be honest.

“He is the type of player that people look for, an athlete, big, good on the ball, good in the air.”

Fernandez’s form has also been aided by the emergence of a promising partnership alongside Olwethu Makhanya.

Rangers spent around £3million to bring the South African defender in from Philadelphia Union, and the early evidence suggests the investment could prove excellent value.

Broadfoot believes the pair have quickly developed an understanding that could become a major asset for McInnes.

“Yeah, they do. The two of them look well to be fair,” he added.

For Rangers, the transformation has been particularly striking.

McInnes faced significant pressure during the early weeks of the campaign after points were dropped against Dundee United and Hibernian, while European disappointment against Jagiellonia Bialystok and Jablonec added to the frustration.

However, the manager refused to panic.

A run of four consecutive domestic victories against Aberdeen, Falkirk, Motherwell and St Mirren helped stabilise the situation, even if the performances were not always convincing.

Then came the breakthrough.

Rangers dismantled Celtic at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup before producing another statement performance to win at Celtic Park in front of around 60,000 supporters.

Broadfoot insists he always expected McInnes to eventually get things moving.

“It’s similar to what we had out there at the weekend, a slow start, but I knew Derek would get them going,” he said.

“He knows the league inside out and you can see that now. He’s getting his team on the park and they look like the team in form and are looking to push on.

“Del’s got so much experience at that level. He knows the game. You were able to see how well he did with Hearts and Aberdeen and at Kilmarnock.

“I always knew it would come good, it was just a matter of giving him time to get his team on the pitch.”

Rangers will now look to carry that momentum into the weekend against Kilmarnock, before facing St Mirren and Dundee.

Celtic still hold a two-point advantage at the summit, although their involvement in the Europa League means they face a demanding schedule alongside their domestic commitments.

Kilmarnock, meanwhile, will arrive at Ibrox knowing they face a vastly different Rangers team from the one that struggled earlier in the campaign.

They will also be without Bailey Rice, who is unable to face his parent club while on loan.

Rice has begun to find his rhythm after recovering from injury and has started Kilmarnock’s last two matches. Broadfoot believes the youngster has the potential to become an important player for both Killie and Rangers.

“Bailey’s a good lad. Slow at the start obviously coming off that injury, but after that he’s been flying now,” he said.

“Obviously he can’t play against Rangers because he’s on loan, but he’s looking strong now.

“There’s no getting away from the fact that Bailey had good ability even before he came here. We all knew that.

“It was just getting him back up to speed after his injury. The more he plays for us and the more he works with the manager and Billy Dodds, he’ll be a good asset for Rangers.”

Broadfoot’s competitive streak was on full display during the Tennents Sixes, but the former Scotland international insists the dressing-room confrontation was nothing more than a bit of fun.

His attention has now turned firmly towards the weekend.

“No, no, this was a bit of fun with the boys,” Broadfoot explained.

“Obviously we take it competitive because we’ve got that side to us. But I was back to work Monday, and it will be full steam ahead to analysing Rangers for the weekend.

“Obviously I could have played with St Mirren or Killie, but when Barry Ferguson asked me first, I said yes, so I wouldn’t go back on my word.

“I keep fit, but you don’t stay match-fit or football-fit, so it was good to see all the boys.”

For Rangers, however, the focus is much simpler: build on the Old Firm double and prove that the early-season struggles are firmly behind them.