Rangers’ fringe-men have consistently been rotated this season, but Steven Gerrard does have a preferred starting XI.
Nobody can deny, however, that in recent weeks it just hasn’t worked. Lassana Coulibaly, Daniel Candeias, Scott Arfield, and Joe Worrall are just some of the consistent features in Gerrard’s first-team.
The Rangers manager has consistently banged on in recent times about getting a reaction from his players. He demanded one after the Aberdeen defeat. He then did so again after coming up short against Kilmarnock last night. On both occasions, he didn’t get one.
Therefore, what if he went “crazy” so to speak with his line-up for Saturday, and really mixed things up? Gerrard is looking for a big improvement, and will likely mix things up ahead of the clash.
The likes of Andy Dallas, Ross McCrorie, Glenn Middleton, and Umar Sadiq are all waiting for another chance to impress. With such a hunger throughout the squad, it would be interesting to see how so many players would do if thrown a bone.
Beware, this isn’t a predicted XI. Instead, it’s a bold XI that would be a case of severely mixing the side up. Here is what we’ve come up with at Rangers News.
GK – Alan McGregor (C)
RB – Jon Flanagan
CB – Connor Goldson
CB – Gareth McAuley
LB – Andy Halliday
RM – Glenn Middleton
CM – Ross McCrorie
CM – Scott Arfield
LM – Ryan Kent
ST – Alfredo Morelos
ST – Andrew Dallas
There’s plenty here that many of you will disagree with. After all, it’s just to do with mixing the side up and seeing what else is at Rangers’ disposal.
Allan McGregor coming back in is a simple choice. Wes Foderingham is a capable shot-stopper, but McGregor is the better of the two and should start.
James Tavernier has played every minute for Rangers this season. He’s been a stalwart and won’t be dropped on Sunday. But it would be interesting to see how Jon Flanagan operates on his preferred side.
Gareth McAuley hasn’t featured yet in a Rangers jersey. Nobody knows whether he’s even fit or not yet, but he isn’t anywhere near the squad. He has fantastic pedigree down in England, however, and it would be intriguing to see how he performed alongside Connor Goldson.
Ross McCrorie and Scott Arfield in the central midfield would be a nice blend of defence and attack. McCrorie is itching for an opportunity to impress this season, and was such a standout last term. Hopefully we can all start to see more of him this term at some stage.
Glenn Middleton has recently signed a new contract and has made 14 appearances for the club this season. He’s full of potential, but has went off the boil in his recent cameo roles against Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, and Spartak Moscow respectively. He’s yet to bag a start this term, and deserves one for his work so far.
Andy Dallas is absolutely firing in the reserves. He’s already into double figures for the season, and bagged another brace against Aberdeen reserves on Monday. Alfredo Morelos dropping out is out of the question, but Dallas for Kyle Lafferty would be worth a shot.
I reiterate, this is NOT a predicted XI. Many of these players won’t be looked at for the weekend. But tell us what your bold XI would be for the weekend. We’ve went for the classic 4-4-2, with a return to two up front in an attempt to bring the goals back.
What drastic changes would you make for Saturday if you had the choice?
