Michael Beale has today confirmed it’s extremely unlikely Connor Goldson or Ben Davies will start tomorrow night for Rangers, but hasn’t completely ruled the possibility out.
Speaking at his first proper press conference as Rangers manager, the new boss explained neither of them are entirely 100% for tomorrow’s clash, but are likely to be brought on as substitutes later on depending on how the match goes.
He said:
“Connor and Ben both trained this week, but they’re not 100% ready for the game. It’s about getting them completely ready for 90 minutes and having 5 substitutes will help me work them back into the team.”
So the chances are nearly 100% that Beale will repeat the defence v Leverkusen consisting of James Tavernier, James Sands, Leon King and Adam Devine, which, at least, has a little experience of playing together.
It’s pretty clear Beale deployed that back four well aware it was extremely likely to be the rearguard he’d have to go with v Lee Johnson’s Hibernian, and it did ok against a Bayer team who didn’t really show up for the occasion at all.
Hibs certainly will, and they will be eager to spoil the Ibrox league debut for Beale as manager, meaning the Govan hosts need to be aware and ready to face a side ‘up for it’.
As for the Porteous angle, time will tell if he’ll start, but what we know almost for sure is neither Connor Goldson or Ben Davies will. Either that or Beale has slipped us a dummy completely and both of them are set to be named in the Rangers XI come tomorrow night.
We don’t know yet the style of Beale’s conferences, his honesty level, or the psychology behind what he says – and as we said in an earlier entry, we don’t really care what he says or how he says it, albeit we’ll still cover the content for you as a dedicated Rangers site.
What does matter to us is points, and performances to an extent. But performances don’t win prizes, points do, and hopefully Goldson or not, Beale and Rangers are celebrating 3 points in Govan on Thursday.