- Andrew Cavenagh calls Rangers’ season “incredibly disappointing” after failing to win the league despite a close title race.
- Chairman admits “we didn’t succeed. Period.” but insists structural progress is being made behind the scenes.
- Rangers vow squad investment and leadership recruitment to convert near-misses into domestic titles next season.
A year into the stewardship at Ibrox, Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh has offered a frank assessment of progress, frustration and the scale of the challenge that still confronts the club in recent comments that will resonate with a support base increasingly impatient for domestic success.
Speaking to the Rangers Review, Cavenagh did not attempt to disguise the weight of expectation or the shortfall against it, describing the past season as “challenging” and “incredibly disappointing” after a title push ultimately fell short.
“It’s a long list of things [that have surprised us], but we expected it to be difficult, and we’ve been proven right in that regard,” he said.
“It has been a challenging year and incredibly disappointing.”
Andrew Cavenagh laments first season failure
At the heart of his reflections was a recurring theme familiar to those who follow Rangers. Being close to success before faltering. The narrow margins of a title race that briefly gathered momentum before stalling have, in Cavenagh’s words, left “a terrible taste in everyone’s mouths”.
“The fact that we got close and had a chance to win the title has left a terrible taste in everyone’s mouths,” he said.
“We’ll use that taste to remind us of where we were and to spur us on to where we want to get to. That will make success sweeter.”
Expectation at Ibrox is not measured in incremental progress or competitive parity, but in silverware. Cavenagh acknowledged as much with blunt clarity.
“For us, success is winning the league,” he admitted. “And we didn’t succeed. Period.”
Andrew Cavenagh prepared to learn from mistakes
There is, however, an attempt to balance realism with resolve. While rejecting what he termed “naively optimistic” framing, the chairman insisted there is belief that structural progress is being made behind the scenes, even if the league table has not yet reflected it.
“We’re gutted by it because we were close,” Cavenagh continued. “But we are resolutely determined to bring titles to the club.
“I don’t want to come across as naively optimistic, but we are optimistic that we are making progress.”
Within modern football patience is finite, in the stands and within boardrooms. Transformation is not instantaneous. Investment, recruitment and alignment across football operations remain central to the strategy, with Cavenagh emphasising that improvement must be earned rather than assumed.
“You can’t sprinkle pixie dust and guarantee yourself a title,” he said. “It’s hard work. It’s an investment and we’re prepared to do both.
“We enter every season with the expectation that we have to win.
“What we can do is what we’ve outlined, which is to improve the squad and go again.”
Readrangers.com analysis – Jack Cranmer
There is acknowledgement of underachievement paired with a renewed commitment to close the gap at the top from the Ibrox top dog. Whether that balance satisfies the wider support is another matter entirely.
At Rangers, the equation remains unchanged. Progress is judged not by intent, but by titles.
Cavenagh has already spoken of the need for leadership within the dressing room this summer.
He has already secured Danny Rohl the signature of Hearts’ skipper Lawrence Shankland, but this must simply be the start not the finale of Gers leadership recruitment to fill the vacuum this window.
