Joe Worrall’s performance against Livingston should confirm Steven Gerrard’s strongest centre-back pairing.
The on-loan Nottingham Forest man was given another start against Livi this afternoon. Rangers ultimately succumbed to a 1-0 defeat at the Toni Macaroni Arena.
Worrall partnered Connor Goldson – the same centre-back pairing that shipped a pair of goals in Villarreal. It appears that Gerrard has been looking to switch his defenders around in a bid to get them used to each other. But it appears the Gers manager made a blunder with starting Worrall here.
The Englishman put in a poor display as he was consistently bullied by Dolly Menga of Livi. It was a weak display by Worrall, who failed to look as convincing as Nikola Katic has in a Rangers jersey so far.
The strongest centre-back pairing
Whilst it’s a great idea for Gerrard to get his centre-backs used to each other, he should’ve went with his strongest against Livi. It was always going to be a physical contest, but leaving Katic on the bench was disappointing.
To be frank, Katic has done absolutely nothing wrong in a Rangers shirt so far. He’s been a solid performer and has earned plenty of praise since joining up with Goldson.
Many fans already see that combination as their best centre-back pairing, but the Livi defeat confirmed it. That’s not to say that Worrall isn’t a good defender. With some development he could be a real star at Rangers, but right now, he hasn’t shown anything more than Katic.
Gareth McAuley is untested as of yet at Ibrox, but he could be another option. Whether it’s smart to change centre-backs around when every game is a must-win is questionable. We all praised Gerrard for trying out Worrall and Katic against Ayr United, but not going with the tried and tested in a tough match like this afternoon was a poor choice.
Livingston were far too comfortable for long spells, and knew they could get at Worrall. He may very well develop into a top centre-back that will go on to do great things in football. As it stands, however, Worrall isn’t a part of Rangers’ strongest starting XI.
