Fabio Cardoso was one of the players Rangers signed when Pedro Caixinha was still in charge. Cardoso arrived from Vitoria Setubal last summer for a reported fee of £1.3million. However, he failed to fulfil his potential and as a result, he has left the club after a mutual termination of his contract.
Cardoso’s Inability To Settle
A lot of expectations were nested on Cardoso’s shoulders following his move to Rangers but the centre-back often flattered to deceive. Prior to his move, he had three decent seasons in the Liga NOS but could only muster 16 appearances for the Glasgow-based outfit last term. He fell out of favour after Caixinha was sacked as manager, just seven months into his job.
Despite having the attributes of a traditional defender who prefers to clear his lines when necessary, his inability to form an understanding with his new teammates saw him fail to settle in. His tackling and passing abilities often came under the scanner leading to reduced opportunities for the player.
Gerrard’s Arrival
Ever since his appointment as the manager, Steven Gerrard has been busy in the transfer market. The club have signed Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic, Jamie Murphy, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Jon Flanagan, Umar Sadiq, Ryan Kent, Ovie Ejaria and Lassana Coulibaly.
It is high time Rangers go all out in their quest to dethrone Celtic from the footballing pinnacle in Scotland. Rodgers has managed to build a mean Celtic side and by the looks of it, Gerrard’s team are the most likely obstacle the Celts will be facing this season.
With such a huge responsibility on his shoulders, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Gerrard has been given a free hand in assembling his squad.
Rangers had terminated Harry Forrester’s contract earlier this summer and have also struck Michael O’Halloran off their books. Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrara have also been shipped out on loan after forgettable campaigns last term, whereas Russell Martin returned to Norwich City after the end of his loan spell.
With the exit of Cardoso, Gerrard might need the services of another central defender who will be competing with Katic, Goldson and Ross McCrorie for a place in the starting XI.
With Rangers facing Aberdeen in their season opener on Sunday, there is a sense of optimism around Ibrox this time around with fans excited to witness what Stevie G has up his sleeves to bring Rodgers’ juggernaut to a halt.
