Wes Foderingham’s Betfred Cup appearances have been a nice story, but Rangers have to go with Allan McGregor on Sunday.
It may seem harsh, but we’re now into the business end of the Betfred Cup. Rangers will be up against, what fans will hope, two big challenges before lifting the trophy at Hampden next month.
Foderingham starred in both the Kilamrnock and Ayr United victories in the previous two rounds. The Englishman shipped just the one goal and put in two solid displays. He has made himself a nice case for starting on Sunday, but it just shouldn’t happen.
Steven Gerrard can’t go taking risks at this stage. Aberdeen will be ready to show the Gers that they aren’t as poor as they looked at Pittodrie on opening day. With the Rangers manager’s “class above” statement still firmly in their minds, the Dons will be out for revenge.
Therefore, Rangers simply can’t go for anything other than their strongest team on Sunday. If we’re all being honest with ourselves, McGregor is head and shoulders above Foderingham when it comes to quality.
Gerrard spoke at his pre-match press conference yesterday and stated that he hasn’t made up his mind on his goalkeeper. That’s a concern, because there should only be one clear candidate.
Foderingham now knows his place in the Rangers squad. He’s McGregor’s back-up, and McGregor will play in all the big games this season unless injured. Surely, the Rangers manager sees this as a monumental clash that doesn’t need unnecessary risks.
There’s a perception that just because a goalkeeper has featured in a certain competition, they should be able to see it out. That’s nonsense. If a goalkeeper starts a league game then he isn’t guaranteed to see out the league and play every game. Why should it be any different for the Betfred Cup?
This competition is no longer a tournament in which you give fringe players a run out just for the sake of it. The Betfred Cup means so much more this season, and deserves to be respected and taken seriously.
Rangers need to select their strongest team on Sunday, and that starts with the goalkeeper. McGregor simply has to return, or Aberdeen will have a better chance of winning the game.
