Lassana Coulibaly’s appearances at Rangers have been consistent when fit, but that shouldn’t be the case much longer.
Nobody could argue with Steven Gerrard when he consistently played the Malian at the start of the season. Coulibaly was performing superbly well, and was such an enforcer in the midfield.
His performances caught the eye of the Rangers support. Many seen him as the kind of player the team had to be built around. He was also supposed to be the kind of talent that won the battles for Rangers and took no prisoners.
Credit to Coulibaly for one thing – he certainly doesn’t shirk a challenge. He gets stuck in and puts a lot of heart and fight into his performances. The issue, however, is the fact that he just isn’t the same footballer he was back then.
A nasty thigh injury took its toll on him early on after his strong opening performances at Ibrox. Since returning in a 4-1 win over Dundee, a match in which he scored, the midfielder hasn’t looked the same.
He’s since made eight further appearances for Gers, and they’ve won just five of them. Yet stats, as we all know, don’t tell the whole story when it comes to performances.
Poor on the ball
Coulibaly, however, has looked poor on the ball and struggled to consistently make his passes. He’s becoming more and more error-prone, and it’s no surprise to supporters when he gives the ball away cheaply.
There was a perception that the Malian’s place in the team was safe in the past. After all, when he plays to his peak he’s perhaps the best midfielder in the squad.
Now, however, it’s difficult to hold up that same argument. He hasn’t put in a single top display in any of his nine matches since returning from injury. There have been mistakes in every one of them, and he continues to struggle with his form.
Even with different midfield partners, Coulibaly is still struggling to get back to his best form. With midfield competition as high as it’s ever been since coming through the leagues, Coulibaly’s place is no longer safe.
The reliable Andy Halliday and promising young Ross McCrorie are both available to do a similar role to Coulibaly. If he doesn’t start stepping it up soon, then there’s no reason for him not to be dropped.
