Ok, it’s pretty much official:
“See Ten hag has the balls to leave out his centre back cos he has been sh*t. Gio take note.”
We saw this comment earlier on our fb page in reply to a post about tonight’s PL epic.
Fans are increasingly concerned that a certain undroppable member of the backline is going to keep costing the team over the coming weeks and months, and the manager takes action.
See, Harry Maguire is unfortunate – wrong defender, wrong club, wrong price tag. He was excellent at Leicester but his failings have been exposed by both his current employer and the amount shelled out for him.
And Ten Hag decided to drop him into the third match and Utd’s performance against an admittedly out-of-form Liverpool was a vast improvement.
But his Rangers’ counterpart? Will Gio have the cajones to make these kinds of calls?
It’s not just about Connor Goldson, it’s about any player who isn’t performing.
Steven Gerrard, on first being appointed manager, vividly said any player who wasn’t delivering, who didn’t have hunger, was out.
This turned to be completely false, as the boss developed his favourites and stuck by them come hell or high water, for right or wrong.
Gio has continued that trend – he has stuck religiously by certain players, for right or wrong, even if they’re not performing.
Goldson is among these, McLaughlin is another, and arguably even the modestly-performing John Lundstram (who we love dearly) is currently perhaps another. You could even make a case for Ryan Kent.
His compatriot Ten Hag showed real strength – not just Maguire, but Ronaldo too – two of the biggest stars at Old Trafford. He’s in the job 10 minutes and has no allegiance to anyone, ergo culled two of the biggest players. And won his first match as Utd manager.
Gio has to be the same ruthless. He has to be willing to cut out players who aren’t performing. Whether they’re McLaughlin or Goldson or anyone else.
Because his job is the one on the line if Rangers are let down by individual players who aren’t at the races.
It’s one to ponder.
Definitely correct and it was really shown by Matinez performance he was excellent without Macguire. GVB will decide , but as I have said before the common denominator is Goldson. Souttar Davies and please please Katic need to get the chance without him .
Those players are going to cost him his job, not if but when
As you said in a previous article, if we win on Wednesday and pump the scum at the piggery, a lot will be forgotten, so he will need to perform some kind of miracle out the hat to win both games, I’m certainly not confident we will win any of then
To be blunt, no Gio doesn’t have the balls to drop Goldson but currently he also doesn’t have the option. We (he) made a huge error in releasing Balogun and when we weigh up our other CB options we are sorely stretched for one reason or another. I’d personally be pushing King and Katic for minutes and as much as I admire our captain and his incredible stats his defensive numbers make for some poor reading. He is getting caught out of position ir giving the ball away on a regular basis and if his goals/assists ratio wasn’t so incredible would we be so accepting of his nailed on starting slot? We have worked on the physicality of Zukowski but why? He clearly is a Ross Wilson signing but not someone Gio considers as a challenge to Tav. A lot has been written about Goldson but the truth of it is that he doesn’t have the courageous qualities of previous Rangers centre backs who would never duck a goal bound shot, Brown, Gough, Butcher, Amoruso, Weir, Cuellar, Andrews, Boumsong to name a few who would be embarrassed by being caught on camera defending themselves before the result. McLaughlin is not a Rangers No.1 choice keeper end of and Kent is not producing enough when he plays to justify being a guaranteed starter. Our 55 team’s spirit is just a distant memory and three of our most committed players (Arfield, McGregor and Davis) are at the wrong end of their careers. Interesting that you brought up Lundstram because I find him to be very effective and a good committed team player although I don’t understand why he is becoming one of the undroppables. Loyalty to underperforming players will cost us domestically this season because as much as I hate to say it Ange has figured out that when you can’t blow the opposition away you grind out the result, something we only achieved in Europe last season. There is a great starting XI in our squad but I’m just not convinced that Gio knows who they are.
Very good post Gary , I agree with all of your thoughts. I also think the fat Greek aussie has sussed how to beat the SPFL dross and as you say grind out a result, however their defence is also poor and easily breached too.
Here comes the first test, leaving Morelos back in Glasgow, if the result goes against us GVB will be slaughtered for not taking him when it’s clear that “El Buffalo” is clearly not fit enough or even committed enough at this moment in time, but the die hards will be baying for blood, CG may not be in the same mold as past heroes but at this point in time he’s the best we have, so for better or for worse we should be rallying round the team and not criticising them. GSTQ
I don’t agree Gio will be slaughtered for not taking Morelos. Fans have had enough and even those that still support him would surely agree that he’s nowhere near fit enough to have an impact.
so much wrong with this current team where do you start,also looking at the bench at Easter Rd only fills me with bigger concerns… a very difficult few months ahead…unless transfer money for quality players made available, although management’s previous dealings the last 2 years also need scrutinised closely!🤨
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