Lewis Mayo shines for Kilmarnock as Rangers lose out on Auston Trusty to Sheffield United and the club’s serial defensive woes continue for Michael Beale.
The young defender moved to Derek McInnes’ side permanently in the summer after spending last season on loan at Rugby Park from Rangers and performed admirably in the 1-0 Ayrshire defeat.
Playing the entire game against the side that reared him as a footballer, there’s a painful irony in the fact that whilst Lewis Mayo didn’t blink for Kilmarnock, the entire Rangers defence did at the other side of the park.
Rangers’ defensive situation has been a shambles for the last two seasons and it looks set to continue with the club’s fans shortchanged in this regard so far this summer.
Whilst the club’s shiny new forward line huffed and puffed and failed to inspire at one side of the park, it was a back four of familiar faces who surrendered all three points at the other.
Rangers irony in Auston Trusty Sheffield United deal
The Benny Hill theme tune wouldn’t look out of place over the top of that horrendous Brad Lyons goal, the strike costing Rangers at least a point at Rugby Park and stamping out any flickers of early season optimism.
But despite being linked to a left-sided centre-half all summer long, our lack of action in this department has already cost us big with the out-of-position John Souttar a major culprit.
There’s also a horrible irony attached to the fact that as Sheffield United secure a £5m deal for Arsenal defender Auston Trusty, it’s in the USA international’s position we surrendered the match.
Whilst no one in the Rangers backline covered themselves in glory, it was Scotland international Souttar who was upstaged by Lewis Mayo and Kilmarnock by failing to clear his lines.
For all the talent the centre-back has, he looks to have a howler in him from time to time and the chances of it happening are intensified when he plays over the left-side of defence.
Borna Barisic too, a prime ball watcher who regularly shirks responsibility in defence and attack, stayed true to form to just watch Kilmarnock pilfer three points.
That left-hand side is a horror show and it’s verging on neglect that we’ve gone into this season without any investment, with a lack of investment already costing us big this campaign.
Fans owed defensive investment as Lewis Mayo exits Ibrox
On the other side, it speaks volumes Michael Beale preferred a half-fit Connor Goldson to Leon Balogun at centre-back, the Nigerian international his only defensive signing this summer.
Ben Davies, linked with a cosy return down south, missed the game through injury but his panicky timidness hasn’t exactly inspired Rangers supporters in his year in Glasgow.
Had it been Sheffield United-bound Auston Trusty or anyone else, Rangers owed the fans investment at centre-back after the calamitous impact our injury prone options had on Europe and domestically last season.
Proper investment into the position was needed after the exit of injury-plagued Filip Helander – a top level Serie A centre-back when he played – and it just hasn’t happened.
We’ve just gone into the opening game of the Premiership season with a rickety backline which has cost us three points, surrendered any early momentum and has done little to inspire any hope on the injury front.
At the other side of the park, a young, hungry Scottish defender with a point to prove in Lewis Mayo has just got a semblance of revenge on a Rangers side which didn’t want him.
Whilst fan ambitions are certainly higher than the young Kilmarnock centre-back, a lack of investment in the position is costing the club and it must be remedied in the weeks ahead.
