Middle of the park says Alison McConnell

It is an awkward situation for the Ibrox club given that they can currently sign players on a pre-contract, but cannot register them until September.

But as Rangers try to rebuild after a summer during which the squad was decimated, it is fair to say manager Ally McCoist will want to have at least a few lined up in the current window.

There is a distinct lack of creativity in the middle of the park and the recent pairing of Kyle Hutton and Ian Black has not been particularly inspirational. There is a lack of forward, penetrative passes coming from the midfield.

At the back, there is also a need for a solid central defender. For all that Rangers are set to romp away with the Irn-Bru Third Division title, they will be looking to the future and the quality of players they have lost since the summer needs to be replaced long term.

This window will give them the opportunity to see just what is out there, given the fact that Charles Green has pledged to give McCoist funds to spend on bolstering his squad.

Experience needed says Matthew Lindsay

RANGERS will no doubt be looking to secure the services of players in a variety of positions on pre-contract agreements in the coming months.

Manager Ally McCoist bemoaned the size of his squad when he failed to bring in the number of players he wanted before the summer window closed in August.

With £10 million now available to him following a successful share issue last month, he has the funds to strengthen significantly. But I believe McCoist should make an effort to complement the prodigiously talented young pool of players he has at his disposal with some older heads.

He has several individuals – Neil Alexander, Ian Black, Emilson Cribari, Kevin Kyle, Lee McCulloch and Francisco Sandaza – who have experience in spades.

But it would aid the development of the likes of Fraser Aird, Robbie Crawford, Chris Hegarty, Kyle Hutton, Barrie McKay, Lewis Macleod and others if he brought in more.

It would also help Rangers away from home in the lower leagues and ensure there are no more slip-ups on the road.