Steven Gerrard’s man management of the likes of Andy Halliday, Glenn Middleton and Alfredo Morelos has been commended so far. And justifiably so. But could he be set for a gargantuan test of his abilities with the returning Carlos Pena?
This, assuming the Mexican will ever step foot in Europe again, let alone Scotland.
Carlos Pena is widely regarded as an enigma in his home country. A talented player who had the world at his feet but was more interested in off field distractions. You don’t get 19 caps for football daft Mexico if you can’t play a little.
But Pena is regarded as a waste of millions by Rangers fans. At a time when the club needed wise investments and a stable first team, this signing was anything but. We’re still paying the price of Caixinha’s failings.
Even though he was poor, Pena did amazingly manage to stump up five goals from midfield in only 14 appearances. Imagine what he could do with his head in the game. But is there any hope left for the Mexican’s Rangers career?
Rangers still paying the price
If Pena is to remain a Rangers player by the time his loan deal is up, it’s painful to think Rangers would simply let his reported £25k+ deal simply run down. It’s a huge amount of money. But who’d take him off our hands?
He hasn’t exactly lit up Mexico during his spells with Cruz Azul and Nexaca. You also can’t have a disruptive influence in and around the first team.
That’s where Gerrard comes in. If anyone can turn Pena’s head and get him back focused on playing for this massive club, or fall back in love with football, it’s one of the best midfielders of a generation.
There’s still 18 months to go on Carlos Pena’s contract. And if there is any sniff of ambition from the Mexican, he’d be willing to come prove himself.
At 28, the Mexican should be entering his prime. He should be lauded as a cult hero in Govan. He should be willing to at least try and make the grade.
Whether at Rangers or anywhere else, for the good of his career he has to be willing to knuckle down. It’s the last chance saloon for Carlos, and not just at Ibrox.
If by some miracle he’s back training at Rangers I’ll be amazed. But if he does return, and Gerrard manages to turn the enigmatic Mexican’s career around, it’ll be the biggest vindication of Gerrard’s man management yet.
And it could be huge for Rangers.
