Going back to the first month of the season, Lassana Coulibaly was unplayable. And it seemed, irreplaceable. But a Coulibaly injury against St. Mirren would keep the on-loan Angers man out for a decisive period for Rangers.
Fast forward to Sunday’s horror show against Livingston and big Malian was hooked at half time.
He was struggling, he looked unfit and it wasn’t the player we had high hopes for. It’s not the first match he’s struggled to make an impact in either.
Return hyped but performances muted
When Coulibaly was out Rangers fans bemoaned losing him to injury. They were beginning to see the physical midfielder as a vital part of the club’s first XI.
He was a big part of how we struggled against Celtic. Coulibaly was huge in the first month. His return was supposed to be triumphant. And it was, for a little while.
Only a few minutes into his comeback Coulibaly opened the scoring against Dundee at Ibrox. He was forceful and wanted to get on the ball, if at times he seemed to be trying too hard.
Over the course of his last four games he seems to be lacking that bite. He’s also been subbed off before the 70th minute in his last four games.
Is it an issue over the big man’s fitness?
Was Coulibaly perhaps brought back too early?
In the early stages of the season the big Malian was a force to be reckoned with. He was dynamic, pulsating and athletic. He was chasing down balls, breaking up play and even marauding up the pitch. He’s been struggling to maintain that form since returning.
Rangers have had consistent injury problems in midfield and with so many high-pressure games Gerrard needed the midfielder back.
With Ryan Jack still out and the likes of Graham Dorrans and Jordan Rossiter only slowly returning to full fitness, Rangers needed numbers in the middle. But was it too soon? Perhaps the original Coulibaly injury hadn’t completely cleared up? For some players getting fitness back is harder than others. It could be as simple as that.
But Rangers need to make a decision on how to progress with him.
Because when the big man is on top form, he looks a real handful in the middle of the park.
And going on Sunday’s performance, Rangers need that bite back badly.
