Steven Gerrard has hinted at why Nikola Katic was left out of the Rangers team against Hibernian on Wednesday night, as quoted by the Daily Record.
The 23-year-old centre-back had started all previous fixtures in 2020 but dropped to the bench as George Edmundson was brought in to partner Connor Goldson.
Edmundson gave away the free-kick that resulted in the opening goal for the visitors, but in general, he defended solidly and scored the goal that got the Gers back level on the stroke of half-time.
It seems he was preferred to Katic not necessarily for defensive reasons, but for his distribution.
“George certainly deserved a go in the team,” said Gerrard, as quoted by the Daily Record. “He’s been very patient and trained very well.”
“Our ball circulation against Aberdeen at the weekend was too slow. George moves the ball quicker for us around the back when we’re trying to find answers.”
Verdict
It’s interesting for Gerrard to give this insight into his team selection and it certainly makes sense.
The Gers didn’t create enough against the Dons at the weekend, and it’s clear that rather than just bringing in Ianis Hagi at the top end of the pitch, the manager was keen to make the whole team more suited to breaking down a stubborn opponent.
Katic is a powerful centre-back, who was in excellent form prior to the winter break. However, it’d be fair to say he’s more comfortable when defending than when asked to step out with the ball.
Despite being just 22, what we’ve seen of Edmundson suggests he’s more adept at that side of the game.
It’ll be interesting to see how Gerrard goes on Saturday afternoon on a smaller and artificial surface away at Hamilton in the Scottish Cup.
