Once again, a Rangers match is case-critical must win. It’s time for a Rangers XI v St Mirren.
56 is gone, let’s face it. As much as a tonne of Rangers fans think the club remains in the race, the momentum has turned.
We’re not winning any more, it’s all draws or losses, and we’ve won two league matches total since 25th of January.
Not exactly 56-winning form.
But hey, onto St Mirren we go, and Danny Rohl has once again been blessed by what we now call ‘opposition fortune’.
Very frequently our manager faces teams in turmoil, in flux. It accounted for so many of Rangers’ wins during his initial arrival.
And he’s got another one in St Mirren who just lost their manager and are now in freefall. Stephen Robinson was excellent for the Buddies but they lost their way, and he left.
He’s now over at hapless Aberdeen, whose fans didn’t even want him so that’s already another speck of luck for the boss. Facing the Sheep next week who now hate their manager.
But luck will only carry you so far, and we now look to St Mirren to see what they will bring.
We also offer not our predicted team, because we’re sure Rohl will come up with whatever he comes up with, but we’ll offer our preferred team.
A new bit of fun for you.
So in goal, Butland. He’s been our best this season. Yes, some errors here and there, but overall this campaign Butland is by a distance Rangers’ best performer.
In defence, well, RB will always be a problem because Dujon Sterling is wasted there, but yeah, in light of the fact no manager will ever put him back to DM, we’d have him there.
Middle is where it changes for us. Djiga alongside fit-again Cornelius. Our best two defenders (not everyone will agree there). A rightie and a leftie v the out of sorts Buddies. Rommens LB obviously.
Midfield is hard. There’s barely a single midfielder doing himself justice this season. They’re mostly below par, frankly. Raskin has been invisible this campaign – his exit last summer failed and his heart has been elsewhere for a long time. Dio is not only underwhelming, but a total liability. And Chucky is sluggish and not dominant. He’s ok at the Gattuso-type stuff but doesn’t anchor. Connor Barron is fit again and works like a dog. He’s been the one shining light in there but he’s not quite Barry level.
But they’re all we have so of that lot it’s Barron and Chucky. Which is not horrific but hardly Pirlo and Gattuso.
Playmaker is Mikey Moore. He’s been a bit brighter of late, which has led to some emotional overreactions about how good he is. But he’s at least working hard.
And the front three?
On the left we’d have Antman, crossing our fingers the Go Ahead Eagles one shows up. On the right it’s Skov Olsen, crossing our fingers the Club Bruges one shows up.
And main striker?
This really is abysmal. Chermiti who has appeared 3 times in 31, Naderi who is yet to even show up, and may be totally out of his depth. Or Miovski, whose Rangers move really didn’t work out at all.
Of that atrocious choice it’s Miovski. He’s the only one with prior SPL experience and desperate to salvage his season.
Yeah, not great is it?
When you look at the Aasgaards, Raskins Chermitis, Gassamas, Souttars, and even Tavs, you realise just how woeful this squad is.
We’ve not even mentioned Max Aarons…
Manny Fernandez is the weird anomaly, who doesn’t really seem good enough yet statistically is actually ok. But we’d rather have Cornelius if that’s ok.
So your Ibrox Noise ‘preferred’ XI rather than predicted one?
Butland; Sterling, Djiga, Cornelius, Rommens; Chucky, Barron; Moore; Antman, Miovski, Skov Olsen.
It’s hardly a sparkling Rangers XI v St Mirren and while we’re sure most of you are yelling ‘TF you’re not picking the team, mate’ the guy who does isn’t doing an awful lot better.
Que sera.