In the aftermath of Rangers’ 1-1 draw with Hamilton, goalkeeper Allan McGregor missed none of his Ibrox teammates with the legendary stopper critical of the entire XI.
But whilst there is a general feeling that Rangers as a unit did not produce the goods in the 90 minutes at Hamilton, one player has received more criticism from some than others.
South African midfielder Bongani Zungu was a late arrival to Rangers last year and since then has struggled for minutes in a side so dominant in Scotland.
On home soil, the two chances Zungu has had to impress from the first whistle have ended in disappointment with the Amiens star’s attitude called into question both times.
The base of the criticism is fair – Zungu has flattered to deceive at times and for all the big talk on social media and the like is yet to deliver in a Rangers shirt.
There are most definitely questions over whether Rangers should meet the reported £2.7m fee it will take to make the deal permanent in the summer [Daily Record].
But much of the stuff levelled at Zungu in the aftermath of that poor result has overstepped the mark and perhaps moved into an unwarranted territory.
Some of the stuff sometimes feels personal and hyperbolic whilst it is natural for fans to find scapegoats in moments of frustration.
Captain James Tavernier and midfielder Glen Kamara – although admittedly having more in the bank with fans – seriously underperformed and haven’t copped the same amount of flak.
Zungu is a man joining Rangers with a decent reputation and whilst he might be 28, it still can’t be easy moving to a new culture with a new club in the middle of a pandemic.
Not only that, but Zungu has found opportunities hard to come by unless from the bench – even if he has failed to grab the chances he has got from the start – and he’s been in Scotland four months.
It is far too early to judge and perhaps we should be putting faith in the powers that be at Ibrox and lay off one of our players aS they try to find their feet and get used to the weight of expectation.
We’ve seen it happen a million times with a range of players, some of whom are currently playing in the Rangers team, and there’s no reason why Zungu can’t prove this of himself in the months to come.
The over-the-top criticism helps no-one – least of all Zungu – and all it does it kick up a stink which hampers the team’s development rather than emboldens it.
Here’s how some of the Rangers fans reacted to Zungu’s performance after the match with Hamilton – make your own mind up on whether or not it was too harsh.
