Jon Flanagan’s decline at Ibrox this season has to be one of the quickest changes in fortune in recent years.
The former Liverpool youth star signed to little fan-fare in pre-season. Yet, he quickly went about doing a capable job and looking like the kind of player who would run through brick walls for the club.
Yet, since being trusted to take over from Borna Barisic, Flanagan has struggled immensely. Traditionally a right-back, you can tell the Englishman isn’t comfortable down the other flank.
In recent weeks, he’s consistently looked shaky in one-v-ones, and struggled with his distribution. These are two things that Steven Gerrard needs his full-backs to be comfortable in.
All of a sudden, the Liverpool-born ace now looks like a nervous wreck whenever he features for the club. Supporters are starting to grow restless, and it’s no surprise he’s quickly lost his place to Andy Halliday.
For that reason alone, Flanagan really has to use this international break to clear his own head. He needs to be a lot more switched on come the return of domestic action.
In danger of dropping down further
Barisic will be pushing for a return at some point, and Flanagan is going to very quickly become third-choice left-back if he doesn’t sort out his form-crises.
As Rangers head into an incredibly hectic schedule, there’s going to be no let-up for the squad. Flanagan will be entrusted with putting in reliable displays in several fixtures at least. If he performs to the same level he has been over the last month, Rangers will drop crucial points at disastrous times.
Flanagan can’t afford to be relaxing and waiting on the return of the international players before getting back into the swing of things. He needs to have been working on the training field each and every day to show Gerrard that he’s out to end his poor form.
With such love and adulation being placed on Halliday once more, Flanagan is in trouble. He may be second-choice at right-back, but James Tavernier has played every minute for the club this season. The only way Flanagan will be placed in his natural position is through injury or suspension to Tavernier.
Therefore, he has to start getting his head back into gear and cut out the sloppy errors from left-back.
Gerrard is going to be calling on him a lot over the next few weeks – it’s time he stepped up.
