ANDREW CAVENAGH watched Rangers underperform on the pitch against Roma.
But how long will it be before the American chairman turns his gaze to those failing off it?
Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell must have been squirming as Roma brushed Rangers aside easily in the Europa League.
Not so long ago, Ibrox was a cauldron on European nights. Now, all the life has been sucked out of the place.
The demise in the quality of the squad — even from last season — is incredible.
Rangers didn’t have domestic success but they went toe to toe with Manchester United and Spurs.
Read More Football Stories
GER FUMING
Rangers ultras Union Bears hit out at Dundee for blocking Remembrance Day tifo
DUNDEE VS RANGERS
Betting preview, prediction, tips & odds for Scottish Premiership fixture
They also drew with Olympiacos and beat the Belgians USG — both of whom are now in the Champions League.
Rangers beat Fenerbahce and then gave a decent account of themselves against Athletic Bilbao in the quarter-final.
On Thursday night, they were outclassed by a weakened Roma team who barely broke sweat.
Cavenagh has witnessed the alarming drop-off and it all comes down to shambolic recruitment.
Stewart and Thelwell must take huge responsibility for that after a disastrous summer.
They were both once again subject to banners and chants on Thursday night and the pressure is mounting.
Yet they can have few complaints and I would be amazed if Cavenagh and the 49ers aren’t starting to ask serious questions.
Stewart will say that recruitment isn’t in his remit but he hired Thelwell then gave him freedom to bring in an army of staff.
One of which was his son Robbie, who did such an outstanding job with signings at Norwich City that they sit third bottom of the Championship.
Way back on the weekend of August 9, when Rangers drew with Dundee, I flagged up concerns over the signings.
My stance when I spoke on Sky was that the quality had dropped alarmingly and that there were no upgrades in any position.
The messages flooded in after that saying I was talking rubbish.
People were queuing up to tell me that the likes of Nasser Djiga was a top signing.
Fast forward a few months and everyone agrees that Rangers have gone backwards.
They can’t score, they can’t defend, they have no leaders, there is no creativity or pace in the squad.
There are players sauntering around the pitch looking like they don’t care.
But apart from that, Thelwell has done a terrific job in building this new-look squad.
Russell Martin had to go but the problems run deeper at Rangers than the manager.
Danny Rohl has come in and seems to have the crowd on his side already.
You need to cut him a lot of slack because he can only play with the hand he has been dealt.
The 1-0 win at Easter Road was seen as a step in the right direction because Rangers don’t keep clean sheets away from home.
But over his five games in charge, you still see the same problems.
They have shipped nine goals against Brann, Kilmarnock, Celtic and Roma far too easily. In Rohl’s five games in charge, they have also only scored five times.
Yes, they have positive signs in flashes but you’re struggling to build a case for dramatic improvement.
Rohl is trying to make the best of a bad situation and it all comes back to the summer window.
Thelwell drove the signing policy and hired people around him that he knows and who probably won’t question or challenge him.
It would be fascinating to see Rangers’ recruitment model to justify some of these signings.
If you look at all the periods of success at the club and what is required, the players brought in this summer are the opposite.
Where is the fight, hunger and desire to win a game of football? Those are the basics.
The fans are being subjected to dross week after week and it can’t always be the manager’s fault.
Thelwell’s work over the summer has been absolutely miles off it. He’s out of his depth.
I am fed up talking about Youssef Chermiti. He must be the only Portuguese player with a bad first touch. £8million? Wow.
But where are some of the others like Oliver Antman or the £3m development player Manny Fernandez?
Thelwell has no affinity with Rangers and will eventually go, leaving someone else to clear up his mess, or shall we say shambles.
Cavenagh has trusted the wrong people and for the team to be that bad after a net spend of £20m in the summer is incredible.
As for Celtic, they made Midtjylland look like 1970 Brazil and were lucky to get away with a 3-1 defeat.
The demise of the performances since the highs of beating RB Leipzig and taking Bayern Munich all the way is staggering.
Martin O’Neill is back at the club doing the board a favour and shouldn’t take any blame.
But the manner of defeat brought Celtic’s managerial search under the spotlight and they are starting to get into Rangers territory.
It’s now almost two weeks since Brendan Rodgers left. Is it time to send out a search party because we haven’t heard from him?
Yet surely the Parkhead board will want someone in sooner rather than later.
Celtic need to catch Hearts and still have a chance in the Europa League, so the clock is ticking.
As for Aberdeen, well done to them for finally getting a Conference League point and an away clean sheet against AEK Larnaca.
But seeing Shamrock Rovers draw with AEK Athens by losing a 94th-minute penalty was damning for Jimmy Thelin’s side after their 6-0 loss in Greece.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
JOB SHOCK
All jobs lost as Scottish food firm collapses after almost 60 years
LIGHT UP THE SKY
Northern Lights to be visible over Scotland TONIGHT in stunning display
Yet maybe that result and the Old Firm’s struggles was a reality check for all of Scottish football.
We used to laugh at the standard of Irish football, now they have every right to mock us.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
