Keith Jackson’s incredible u-turn as he ditches the Imaginative Ibrox Signing Policy

Keith Jackson has indulged in an incredible u-turn over Recruitment at Ibrox.

Two months ago it was an Imaginative policy, after a third successive hammering the signing of seven players has now been described as scattergun!

There were no new faces in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad when they returned for pre-season training, gradually they came in over the month of July but last night none of the Magnificent Seven were in the starting line up against Napoli.

In his hour of need, after successive 4-0 defeats it was back to the future as the Ibrox boss recalled Allan McGregor, Alfredo Morelos, Steve Davis, Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack were brought in to save face by suffocating the match.

Antonio Colak, Tom Lawrence and Malik Tilman have had their moments but the others look to be complete misfits. Rabbi Matondo may run faster than Usain Bolt but it is obvious why Schalke were happy to take a £7m loss on the Welshman.

In defence Ben Davies and Ridvan Yilmac cost around £10m but aren’t trusted, Sicknote Souttar is doing what he has done throughout his career.

Reviewing last night’s hammering from Napoli, Jackson informed Record readers:

That not one of his summer signings made the cut for a match of such significance represented another damning indictment of the club’s scattergun recruitment policy. As, for that matter, did two midfield men in John Lundstram and James Sands having to be deployed on either side of Connor Goldson in a three-man defence with an affliction to dealing with cross balls.

Two months ago, on July 11 Jackson was full of joy as the Imaginative Signing Policy was introduced:

The imaginative, cut price captures of Antonio Colak and Tom Lawrence have lit a fire under the Dutchman’s summer and now it seems likely that van Bronckhorst and director of football Ross Wilson are only just getting started. If French playmaker Angelo Fulgini and Welsh wing man Rabbi Matondo also arrive at Auchenhowie over the course of the next few days then the Dutchman – and his head of hiring and firing – will have significantly strengthened the club’s attacking armoury ahead of the new campaign.

Last season’s freakish run to Seville is now bizarrely seen as the benchmark, beating Dortmund is proof of the ability in the squad and the dug out.

If further ground is lost to Celtic in the SPFL the pressure on van Bronckhorst could become overwhelming, even if he manages another European miracle by salvaging third place from this season’s Champions League group.