McGregor wants new faces

14 July 2011 12:28
Rangers keeper Allan McGregor admits the club need new players quickly after their thin squad was exposed on their pre-season tour of Germany.[LNB] Rangers lost all three games without finding the net, suffering defeats against Sportfreunde Lotte, who play in the regional leagues below the third tier of German football, plus Bundesliga 2 side Bochum and Bayer Leverkusen.[LNB]Director of football Gordon Smith confirmed at the weekend that Rangers were in talks with Espanyol over a move for defender Raul Rodriguez but the Ibrox club are still waiting to hear back.[LNB]Only winger Juan Manuel Ortiz has arrived at Ibrox this summer despite the pledge from Craig Whyte that at least £5million would be made available to revamp the squad.[LNB]McCoist has lost numbers from his squad following the departures of loan players Vladimir Weiss, El-Hadji Diouf, Kyle Bartley and Richard Foster.[LNB]McGregor told the club's official website: "We are still hopeful things will come together and it has still been a good tour, the results apart.[LNB]"We have done a lot of good work behind the scenes and while training has been hard, that is what we have needed.[LNB]"Our fitness levels are coming and hopefully they continue rising over the next 10 days so that we're ready for the start of the league.[LNB]"At the same time, I think we have seen how much we need to get the right people in and pretty sharpish at that."[LNB]While most managers make a raft of substitutions in pre-season games, Ally McCoist did not make one change as Rangers lost 2-0 to Leverkusen last night.[LNB]The home side were able to bring on former Germany captain Michael Ballack, who netted the second from the spot, but McCoist only had a bench full of youngsters plus David Healy, who has been troubled by a minor ankle injury.[LNB]With Kyle Lafferty expected to be out for four to six weeks with a groin injury and Madjid Bougherra fighting to overcome a hamstring strain to make the Clydesdale Bank Premier League season opener against Hearts on July 23, McGregor is eager for action in the transfer market.[LNB]"We need to get some new signings into the club," the Scotland number one said.[LNB]"I know the manager has been working really hard to get in the guys he feels he needs since he got the job.[LNB]"It has been difficult in the sort of climate he is working in, where some guys can maybe earn more money in the Championship than the SPL nowadays.[LNB]"But I think it would give us all a lift if we were able to push one or two things through and hopefully that can happen."[LNB]Rodriguez, 23, has only made 10 first-team appearances for Espanyol but McCoist believes he can step into the team right away.[LNB]McCoist said: "We have contacted Espanyol with a bid but haven't heard back from them.[LNB]"Raul's a centre-back and we definitely need strengthening in that department.[LNB]"We just need cover and hopefully Rodriguez will give us that.[LNB]"He's someone I'd look to bring right into the team. I'm not looking for players who aren't going to play.[LNB]"We're still looking at other players and there will be other bids going in over the next 48 hours.[LNB]"Rodriguez won't be the last defender we go for."

Source: Team_Talk