Key Points
- Rangers finished third in the Scottish Premiership for the first time in eight years, ending a trophy-less season.
- The campaign was shaped by the failed appointment of Russell Martin last summer, according to the source material.
- Danny Rohl is now expected to oversee a major summer rebuild after a difficult season.
- Rangers spent tens of millions across both transfer windows, with further spending potentially coming in the summer.
- The squad is expected to change again, with four loan players due to return to their parent clubs and others also heading back.
- A mid-season improvement briefly pulled Rangers back into the title race, but their form fell away again after the split.
- The player ratings published by the source material suggest several underperformed, while a handful stood out during the better spell.
- This report follows the inverted pyramid structure, which puts the most important facts first in a news story.
Glasgow (Glasgow Wxpress) 18 May 2026 – Rangers’ 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season ended in disappointment, with the club finishing third and going through another trophy-less campaign, according to the source story. As reported by the unnamed journalist behind the Rangers Review piece, the season “started badly and ended worse”, and the four straight league defeats after the split proved decisive. The article says the failed appointment of Russell Martin last summer set the tone for the campaign, while Danny Rohl now faces a significant summer task to improve results and reshape the squad.
Why did the season go wrong?
The source story says Rangers spent tens of millions over the course of both transfer windows, but the spending did not prevent a poor league finish. It states that the club were still able to mount a surge in form midway through the season, which briefly returned them to the title race, but that momentum did not last. The article also says that the post-split collapse effectively ended any remaining hope of a successful league challenge.
That combination of early instability, inconsistent results and a late downturn forms the central explanation for the season’s failure.
What do the player ratings show?
The source material is built around player ratings for every Rangers player who made at least five appearances in the 2025/26 Premiership campaign, as well as the manager. It says the ratings include several 4/10s, which are used as evidence of the need for a summer rebuild.
The article also notes that it was not all negative, because some players stood out during the period in which Rangers recovered enough form to re-enter the title race. The ratings are presented as a season-wide assessment rather than a single-match review, so they are intended to reflect consistency, impact and overall contribution across the league campaign.
Who is under pressure this summer?
Danny Rohl enters the summer with a sizeable rebuild ahead of him, according to the source article. Rangers are expected to lose four loan players back to their parent clubs, and the piece adds that other players may also return elsewhere.
The report says the club has financial backing from chairman Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprise, which could allow for another large outlay in the transfer market.
However, the key point from the source is that recruitment alone will not be enough unless the club also removes players who are no longer considered part of the long-term solution.
How does the season reflect broader concerns?
The source story frames the campaign as one in which Rangers never fully found stability. It says the club’s summer appointment disrupted the season before it properly settled, and that the later improvement could not overcome the damage done earlier on.
In practical terms, the ratings article suggests Rangers need a more balanced and reliable squad, rather than simply more spending. It also indicates that the club’s next transfer window may be just as important for departures as arrivals.
Background of the development
Rangers have been under pressure to close the gap at the top of Scottish football, and the source story sits within that wider context.
The article says this is the first time in eight years that Rangers have finished third in the Premiership, which underlines the scale of the setback.
It also points to a season that has been shaped by managerial change, major spending and a mid-season recovery that ultimately faded.
The broader background is a club with high expectations, significant resources and limited room for another poor campaign.
What could happen next?
For Rangers supporters, the most immediate impact is likely to be another period of squad change, with both incoming signings and exits shaping the summer. For the wider Scottish football audience, the development suggests Rangers will remain one of the main talking points in the league because their response could affect the balance of next season’s title race. If Danny Rohl is backed strongly and the rebuild is successful, Rangers could return as stronger challengers; if not, the same problems may continue into the next campaign. The source material indicates that the club’s summer decisions will be central to how the 2026/27 season begins.
