Rangers’ recruitment team has no room for error with work needing done from back to front.
Questions about Jack Butland’s competence don’t help either after his blunder against Motherwell being the latest in a long line of individual errors this season.
If the next Rangers manager is to have any joy, the squad has to be built on a defence that is considerably more robust than it is just now and Nils Koppen has the perfect template to work from.
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Leon Balogun shows why he is still Rangers best centre-half
There was one player who made playing against Motherwell look as easy as it should be, Leon Balogun.
On as a half-time replacement for the hapless Robin Propper, the difference between the two experienced stoppers couldn’t be starker.
Balogun is physically dominant on the ground and in the air, he also, despite his advancing years, still has the pace to cover his full-back and his partner, should they make a mistake.
That Butland had nothing to do in the second half perfectly demonstrates how much of an impact the Nigeria international had.
What the 36-year old is also good at, is knowing when to attack the ball and when to follow a runner and deal with a threat in behind.
It’s just a shame that Balogun isn’t 10 years younger.
Why Balogun should be the template Rangers look for
The next manager maybe can’t rely on Balogun to build his defence on, however, he is the perfect example of what the recruitment team should be looking for.
To give Propper his dues, he has been good in Europe, but his inability to adapt to the Scottish game makes him a liability.
Balogun, on the other hand, is able to flit seamlessly between the two levels of competition due to his comfort on the ball, ability to defend the box or big spaces.
It is the one position that it is easy to find what Rangers need, it is right there in front of everyone, which makes the signing of Propper even more bizarre.
