Robin Propper reveals why he’s struggling at Rangers

Ibrox Noise

·28 December 2024

Robin Propper reveals why he’s struggling at Rangers

It’s safe to say Rangers defender Robin Propper has not had the most illustrious start to his career at Ibrox, with the former Twente stopper a last-minute replacement for departed Connor Goldson.

And the Dutch centre-back has effectively admitted why he’s struggling at Rangers:

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The absolute need to win.

Propper said:

“It’s so different from what I was used to. At Twente, you can lose. At Rangers, after a disappointment in the eyes of the outside world, everything is bad. There is so much media around the club. Those are just the laws of the top club. The supporters expect a lot. You have to become champions. But I have not regretted the move for a second. The football is comparable to the Netherlands. But of course, I had to get used to it. The way most Scottish clubs play is very opportunistic, or a lot of long balls. In the Eredivisie, I liked a thoughtful, calm build-up. But here the opponents’ supporters immediately start whistling when you do that. In the Netherlands last year, only Almere City played the Scottish way. Rangers are one of the few teams who do want to build from the back.”

In simple terms, he hasn’t got the career mindset of a winner, and his ex-club Twente allows you to lose, to have calm, to not panic when there’s a draw.

And he was with Twente for a long long time, used to that career journeyman stuff where winning was nice but not essential – at Rangers it’s constant must-win and that has blindsided a guy used to having no pressure on him at all.

Why would Rangers sign a defender who isn’t used to winning and is a complete fish out of water at Ibrox?

Ask Nils Koppen.