Alious
As Celtic celebrated their fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership crown and moved closer to securing another domestic treble, former Rangers defender Alan Hutton weighed in on how the Ibrox side can close the growing gap to their rivals next season.
Speaking on Premier Sports’ *Scottish Football Social Club*, Hutton was asked to name which current Rangers players should be kept for the upcoming campaign. His response was swift, singling out Czech winger Vaclav Cerny, currently on loan from Wolfsburg.
“Cerny,” Hutton said pointedly, before a brief silence prompted fellow pundit Michael Stewart to joke that his microphone must have cut out, drawing laughter from the panel.
Despite an otherwise disappointing season for Rangers, Cerny, 27, has been one of the few bright spots, consistently earning plaudits for his performances.
Expanding on his thoughts, Hutton stressed that improving the quality around key players like Cerny would elevate their performances even further:
*”If you brought in better players to play around these guys, I think you could get better out of them.”*
Along with Cerny, Hutton praised a few other players, suggesting they could form the foundation of the rebuild if managed correctly:
*”If they can keep hold of Cerny, he’s been a standout. [Nicolas] Raskin has developed really well, [Mohamed] Diomande possibly, and [John] Souttar at the back—although the defense still needs serious work. [Jack] Butland too, if he can regain the form we’ve seen from him before. But beyond that, I’m honestly struggling.”*
Despite Cyriel Dessers scoring 24 goals this season, Hutton voiced concerns about the striker’s all-around contribution:
*”Dessers’ numbers are good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s everything else that’s a problem. Rangers need stronger options up front.”*
Hutton also predicted a significant turnover in personnel this summer, suggesting several players could depart:
*”Guys like [Nedim] Bajrami, [Oscar] Cortes, [Tom] Lawrence — I think all of them will move on,”* he said, highlighting the need for a comprehensive refresh, especially in attacking areas.
With Celtic showing no signs of slowing down, Hutton’s assessment underlines the scale of the challenge facing Rangers if they hope to mount a serious title challenge next season.
Alious
