IT is something of an understatement to say that off-field upheaval hindered Gordon Smith’s efforts after he became the first Director of Football at Rangers back in the summer of 2011.
Sone Aluko, Carlos Bocanegra, Dorin Goian and Lee Wallace, who all arrived at Ibrox after the former striker was appointed to the new role, quickly established themselves in Ally McCoist’s side and endeared themselves to fans with the quality of their displays.
However, Craig Whyte’s reign quickly unravelled in spectacular fashion and Smith departed shortly after the Govan club was placed into administration by their then owner having spent just eight months in the position.
The one-time SFA chief executive, though, still believes that having a sporting director is crucial if the Glasgow giants are to lift silverware domestically and acquit themselves well in Europe once again in the seasons ahead.
And he predicted that Rangers will be able to challenge Celtic for the Scottish title in future if they get the right man overseeing the football side of their operations - even though the Parkhead club are able to outspend them in the transfer market.
Some supporters have questioned if Ross Wilson – who had come under fire in recent weeks as a consequence of a calamitous return to the Champions League group stages and disappointing cinch Premiership campaign – actually needs to be replaced in recent days.
Wilson, who joined Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest last week, was targeted from the stands after many of his signings, the likes of Juninho Bacuna, Amad Diallo, Cedric Itten, Rabbi Matondo, Aaron Ramsey and Mateusz Zukowski, failed to make a significant impact.
Smith acknowledged the former Falkirk, Huddersfield Town, Watford and Southampton recruitment supremo did have several hits along with the misses. However, he feels the criticism which the Scot has been subjected to in recent months has been justified.
“You get judged on the decisions you make and the players you bring in,” he said. “There were some successes, there is no doubt about that. But there were quite a few signings who just didn’t work out at all.
“That is where the complaints from the fans have stemmed from – the fact that players just didn’t perform after being signed. Some who cost them quite a bit of money on as well. There is quite a detailed list of players who cost a lot of money, but failed to deliver.
“If you bring in a whole load of good payers and the club gets success from that then you will be judged on that. But if you don’t then you can expect to receive criticism from the stands as a result of that.”
Smith has urged the current Rangers board to look to bring in a former player – and Dougie Freedman, Craig Moore, Christian Nerlinger and Davie Weir have all been linked with the vacancy in recent days - as Wilson’s successor.
“Rangers need somebody with the right knowledge of the game and who understands how football clubs are run,” he said. “He needs to know about the scouting, purchase and development of players and have experience in those areas.
"Ross Wilson never played the game at any level. I think that should be a factor in who is appointed going forward. Whoever takes over from him should be somebody who has actually played the game at a good level. I think it is vital. They have to be looking to bring in the right quality of player.”
Celtic have dominated Scottish football in the past two seasons without the help of a sporting director – but Smith is adamant that Rangers need to bring in somebody to oversee all aspects of the football operation at Auchenhowie and allow manager Michael Beale to focus fully on the first team.
He also stressed that Beale, who has only signed Cantwell and Raskin since taking over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst back in November, must be allowed to have the final casting vote on any new acquisition.
“When I first spoke to Craig Whyte back in 2011, I was just advising him on football matters,” he said. “I had no intention of becoming a sporting director. He came to me one day and offered me the job. It was not something that happened much at that time. It wasn’t the done thing.
“But that was 12 years ago. Now, certainly at a higher level, having a sporting director at a club is very important. The manager and chief executive have got enough on their plates and there needs to be somebody there to look after other aspects of the football side of the business.
“I felt the role was to oversee all the different departments – the first team, reserves, youth sides, medical, recruitment and scouting - and make sure they were all running efficiently. For me, the sporting director’s duty is to look after all of those things. The manager should just be concentrating on the team, not other factors.
“But at the end of the day the signings have to be made with the approval of the manager. I don’t know whether that was the situation when Ross Wilson was at the club or whether he was totally responsible for bringing those players in.
“When I was at Rangers, the manager, Ally McCoist, had to make the final decision on any player. I was only there for a very short time, but players could only be brought in if he actually agreed to it. That is the way it should always work.”
Celtic lavished around £40m more on players than Rangers did during the three-and-a-half years that Wilson spent in Govan as sporting director and reaped rich rewards for their substantial outlay – but Smith argued that using money wisely is just as important as spending big.
“Success isn’t necessarily down to cash, it is down to the quality of the scouting as well,” he said. “I think being able to identify somebody who is going to become a top class player is what is key.
“The scouting, the ability to identify a player who can play at the highest level, has to be good. As I say, it is not always down to money. A few of the players who Celtic have brought in haven’t cost a lot of money. It is just down to having the right level of scouting.”
