Michael Beale has today as good as confirmed Connor Goldson and Ben Davies will be the defence v Aberdeen for Rangers tomorrow night after announcing the central area will feature two dedicated centre-backs, ruling out James Sands 100%.
The manager, speaking at his pre-Sheep presser, announced, with a degree of glee it must understandably be said, that:
“I am happy to say I will have centre-backs in the team tomorrow night.”
Now it is possible, given young Leon King was also on media duties today, that he may well be the one paired with Connor Goldson, but we frankly hope not, and given Ben Davies managed to get some minutes v Hibernian last Thursday the chances are it’s the Englishman who will get the nod next to the club’s vice-captain Goldson.
Either way, it will be two of the three, of Goldson, Davies and King, and that’s a deeply welcome change for Rangers fans who have had around two months+ of quite simply not having a defence at the rear at all for the club, with Sands and King being the main two filling in there.
Goldson and Davies was definitely looking strong that first half v Liverpool, and once King was in the goals leaked like a sieve, showing what the loss of the main defender did to Rangers’ backline – so many fans blamed ex-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst but the man was out of options in that match and circumstances betrayed him.
King isn’t ready, and he’s one for the future, but in the here and now it looks mercifully like Goldson and Davies will be the main defence for the trip to Pittodrie and Michael Beale couldn’t be happier about that.
As for Sands? Unfair scapegoat this season, given utter abuse by Rangers fans not understanding he needed a good stopper next to him to guide him, and it wasn’t his natural position – but he bailed the team out of so many holes this campaign, providing a defensive option when there weren’t any, and was MOTM more than once thanks to his contribution.
Deserves better than the maligning he gets from too many.
But he wouldn’t be our first choice CB for sure, and we’re glad it looks like Goldson and Davies will be back in come tomorrow night.
As long as no one ducks out of the way when the ball comes into our box
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