Is ‘new signing’ set to start for Rangers v Ayr…

Following his outstanding cameo in Villarreal last Thursday, Graham Dorrans managed another short burst against St Johnstone and what few touches the ex-Norwich man got looked every inch the class of that miraculous run and near-assist in Spain.

In short, it appeared to every stretch of the imagination that Dorrans was not only picking up from where he left off on Rangers’ travels, but looks every inch a new signing.

Dorrans’ quality has never been in doubt, only the deployment of him. While Norwich fans were ultimately unimpressed with him and labelled him an inconsistent ‘luxury’ player, his pure talent and ability has rarely been a subject of debate, and when on his game and in the right mood and played in an optimal position, Graham Dorrans is as good as any player north of the border.

Indeed, those two cameos v Villarreal and Tommy Wright’s lot have helped reignite his star at Ibrox, and given us a real insight into what this guy can offer long term.

We’ve often whined on the site about a lack of a ‘Barry Ferguson’, or a more advanced version we’d label a ‘lockpick’, that midfield maestro who can thread through the eye of a needle or unlock the most stubborn defences while pulling strings.

In the reborn Dorrans, we look like we might have that and we cannot fathom any reason he won’t start tonight.

He would be unlikely to last the 90 minutes of course, but he’s fit, he’s ready, and he is a new signing to all intents and purposes.

Indeed, assistant manager Gary McAllister has already confirmed not only that the four who featured v Motherwell reserves this week may feature tonight as well, but that a glut of youth players like Stephen Kelly, Cammy Palmer and Alex Thomson could also play significant roles at Ibrox as too.

This could be a dramatically different XI to the one that has done so admirably for the past 180 minutes.

And we’d be very surprised if Graham Dorrans isn’t in it.