Have Rangers Made a Mistake With Robbie Ure?

Yesterday it was confirmed that Robbie Ure had found a new club after leaving Rangers. He signed a one-year deal to play with Anderlecht’s B team in the Belgian second tier. This seasons like a great move for the 19-year-old who was looking to play at a higher level than the Lowland League.

There’s also always the possibility, if he does well, to be called up into the Anderlecht senior side. The Belgian giants have developed some top players over the years. In just the last six months they have sold promising 17-year-old winger Julian Duranville to Borussia Dortmund for £7.3m and he’s already made his Bundesliga debut.

They also sold 21-year-old Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to Brighton for £17.2m. They have a reputation of developing and selling some top talents, going all the way back to the likes of Vincent Kompany!

For Robbie Ure, this seems like a great move, was it for Rangers though? Although not confirmed, the one-year-deal being signed makes it seem unlikely that Rangers will receive the total 400k compensation that was expected. It’s hard to imagine Anderlecht would pay the full amount just for him to be able to speak to other clubs in January.

So, have Rangers made a mistake with this one? Let’s discuss.

Robbie Ure’s 22/23 Season

He played a grand total of 3 SPFL minutes last season, which was personally disappointing for the young striker. However, he did get a start in the League Cup against Queen of the South.

He opened the scoring with a great strikers finish that night and cause the opposition problems in the 76 minutes that he played. He held off his run well so Glen Kamara could lay it off to him and calmly placed it past the goalkeeper.

It seemed like that may have been the start of the youngster getting some first team minutes. Unfortunately for him, he would only come off the bench against St. Mirren in November then wouldn’t come off the bench again until Rangers played Hibs in the split.

These sub appearances totalled 3 minutes, disappointing for Ure himself and also the fans. Fans love seeing a young striker coming through and getting goals, when was the last time Rangers had one of them?

He obviously spent the majority of the season playing in the Lowland League where this was his record;

• 33 Appearances
• 17G/8A
• 150mins Per Goal
• 102mins Per Goal Contribution

The numbers suggest a well rounded striker who can score goals and also link well. Lowland League obviously isn’t the standard Rangers want their youngsters at.

That being said, he was given one proper chance, against Championship opposition, scored and played well. How can you ever know if a player is ready if they aren’t given a chance?

Anderlecht’s Development Record

Robbie Ure will be playing for the B team but so have many of Anderlecht’s recently developed players. Let’s have a look at some of the players they’ve developed recently, whether they’re still at the club or have been sold on (age in brackets is players age when sold);

Bart Verbruggen (21) – Sold to Brighton for £17.2m

Julien Duranville (16) – Sold to Dortmund for £7.3m

Albert Sambi Lokonga (21) – Sold to Arsenal for £15.1m

Jeremy Doku (18) – Sold to Stade Rennais for £23.3m (Sold to Man City this summer at 21 for £51.5m)

Alexis Saelemaekers (21) – Sold to AC Milan for £3.1m

Other players within the last ten years include Leander Dendoncker, Youri Tielemans, Dennis Praet and Alexander Mitrovic.

Jeremy Doku, Alexis Saelemaekers, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Leander Dendoncker all spent team with the B team.

That’s good company for Robbie Ure and he’ll be hopeful he can join them in making the step up to the first team. The Belgian side famously give youngsters the chance to develop, Scotland fans will be hoping they can help develop him into the countries next big striker.

Conclusion

The decision to leave the club he’s developed at in search of first team football has to be respected. He was given one start last season and scored a goal, then wasn’t given another start.

There really isn’t a clear pathway for any youngsters currently at Rangers. Alex Lowry has also headed out on loan in search of first team minutes and if the club had secured another centre back in the summer Leon King would have been loaned out as well.

So what is the point of these young players staying at the club just to not be given a chance and then released? Rangers are crying out for someone to score goals and I’m not saying Robbie Ure would be the answer but who’s also to say he wouldn’t get goals?

Could Brighton have predicted how good 18-year-old Evan Ferguson would be upon being given a first team chance? They obviously knew he had potential but he’s surely far exceeded expectations so far in his young career.

There isn’t that chance for youngsters at Rangers though and it’s sad to see. The players may not be good enough but a lot of them don’t even get the chance to have a go. It’s something which is rife throughout Scottish football and needs to change.

Were you disappointed when Ure was released? Did you think after getting a goal on his first start he deserved another chance?

ICYMI read yesterdays article on Michael Beale’s Old Firm record here.