Ianis Hagi starred for the Rangers B Team on Tuesday, scoring at Forthbank Stadium as part of the SPFL Trust Cup as the side made their way to the quarter finals of the tournament, but it was the media’s take on the Romanian we had to ‘laugh’ at.
Reporting on his place in the starting lineup, the Scottish press were at pains to argue Hagi had been ‘dropped/dumped’ back into the B team following his return to the seniors recently, and of course on the face of it seeing his place on the reserves could have that initial reaction.
But as we know, this was misleading reporting at best, because Hagi is suspended from the seniors until early next month due to his red card, and is ineligible for Europe given he wasn’t picked for the Europa League league stage squad.
So how else is the boy supposed to keep his fitness up for his future senior squad return than… well… by playing for the B team.
It’s exactly what Danilo did, played for the B team to get the minutes in, the fitness up, because that’s what you do.
Hagi, for now and up till about 10+ days, cannot play any senior football at all, so if the B team is playing, that’s where he will be for now, to keep the movement in his legs.
Whether or not you want to see Ianis Hagi actually playing for Rangers (and we’re not sure Philippe Clement does) doesn’t fundamentally matter, his question of fitness is the issue, and the only way he gets that is by turning out for the B team when they’re playing.
Because he’s suspended from the seniors for now.
So the media portraying this as his being ‘dumped’ back into the B team down from the seniors is misleading and unfair at best.
But that wouldn’t be the first time the media has done something like that, hm?