Rangers boss Steven Gerrard should hand a rare start to Jordan Jones for Saturday’s Premiership clash against Livingston at Ibrox.
The Gers have been in a slump since the winter break and part of the problem has been a lack of cutting edge in the final third.
Only seven goals have been scored in six Premiership fixtures in 2020, with both chance creation from supplementary attackers and finishing from forwards at fault.
After the latest setback at Rugby Park, it’s time to shake things up and hand opportunities to some of those who have been waiting patiently in the wings.
It’s been a disappointing season so far for Jordan Jones, who would have been hoping for a lot more playing time when he arrived from Killie in the summer.
MORE RANGERS STORIES
However, a largely self-inflicted long-term knee injury saw him sidelined for months, and chances have been few and far between since then. Just six of his 13 Gers appearances have come from the start.
As a left-winger, he’s found himself primarily behind Ryan Kent in the pecking order, but the club’s second most expensive ever player’s stats aren’t currently justifying his place in the starting XI.
Remarkably, Kent is yet to register an assist in the league this season and after seven appearances in the last three weeks, he’s due a rest in any case.
As the only out-and-out winger on the bench for the last two fixtures, Jones is the next cab off the rank and deserves a chance to try and go and breathe some life back into the Ibrox faithful.
He hasn’t started a Premiership match since late August, but while his consistency isn’t always there, he’s shown over recent seasons at Killie and with Northern Ireland, that on his day, he can tie capable full-backs in knots.
Livingston are on a strong run of form, having won four of their last six, keeping three clean sheets in that time.
The turgid Gers displays of 2020 may not be enough for three points, so the out-and-out pace of Jones is a logical option.
Gerrard has been reluctant to turn to his squad players, either from the start or off the bench, but with a ten-point deficit now in place, there’s now little to lose and new approaches must be trialled.