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Why has Rangers' Ross McCrorie been cast aside by Steven Gerrard?

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Rangers limply succumbed to a 2-0 home defeat in the Scottish Cup, last night.
It was a chastening experience for Bears, even the most positive thinking of whom, couldn’t argue their team deserved to progress to the semi-final.
For the second time this season, Gerrard’s side were humiliated at Ibrox by the Dons.

It was Scott McKenna in December and Niall McGinn last night. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

They failed to score on both occasions.
One player who didn’t feature in either defeat, is Ross McCrorie.
The 20-year-old was an unused substitute back in December, but didn’t even make the squad for last night’s debacle.

Why wasn’t he involved?

When called upon this season, McCrorie has consistently shown his appetite for the big occasion.
Yet, Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara and Scott Arfield got the nod in the starting line-up. What’s more, Steven Davis and Lassana Coulibaly were preferred on the bench.

Coulibaly seemingly leapfrogging McCrorie in the pecking order, is a major surprise. (Photo by Josef Bollwein/SEPA.Media /Getty Images)

There’s no doubt Kamara, in particular, has impressed of late. However, that’s the same midfield three who failed to deliver a win at Hibernian on Friday.
Steven Gerrard simply repeated the same mistake. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but you can’t turn out almost an unchanged XI week in, week out and expect to get different results.
Last night’s fixture was calling out for McCrorie.

He’s an imposing, no nonsense midfield player, who loves breaking up opposition attacks and winning challenges.
McCrorie has impressed in big games this season. (Photo by Josef Bollwein/SEPA.Media /Getty Images)

Rangers needed a bit of that fight and pride last night.

The Scotland U21 skipper has barely put a foot wrong in a Gers shirt all season.
Inexplicably, opportunities are severely limited right now, though. Only a solitary sub appearance has come his way in the last six matches.
Had he been involved last night, it may have been a different story.