Rangers fans are directing much of their ire in the immediate aftermath of the 1-0 defeat to lowly Hamilton at club captain James Tavernier and vice-captain Connor Goldson.
On the pitch, a mix-up in communication between the two led to the only goal of the game, with individual errors costing the team for the second match in a row.
Can you really blame fans for sitting here thinking, if this is the two players tasked with leading the team, what chance have we got?
The thing is, there’s little doubt in my mind that both of these players are good quality players.
James Tavernier has consistently shown throughout his Rangers career – if not recently – how much of an offensive asset he can be for the club.
Tav has also been so consistent for so long, rarely missing a match, or a penalty, until this season.
But as the pressure has ramped up, Tav has too often crumbled under the weight of expectation. Celtic last season, Young Boys, Hearts, twice.
This is the club’s captain making consistent, high-profile errors in matches of significance.
Connor Goldson too has shown himself in flashes to be every inch the Premier League defender we signed when Steven Gerrard first took over.
A robust, commanding central defender when he is organised and concentrated, too often Goldson fails to do the very basics of defending.
His drag-back in the Rangers box which gifted Accies striker David Moyo the goal encapsulates the arrogance and contempt that not just vice-captain Goldson, but the entire team seem to have for this league and these opponents.
It was arrogant, complacent and above all else, costly.
There may be an argument here that the Rangers forward line must share the bulk of the burden, after all Connor Goldson’s mistake should’ve cost a goal, not the game.
But when these two players are being positioned as the team’s leaders, seemingly immune from criticism and consistently selected despite woeful performances, then we’re right to ask questions of them.
Good players? Absolutely. But there are serious question marks over these two when it comes to winning things with Rangers.
There has never been a point in either’s career when they’ve had such intense pressure to win every game.
It is a problem with the entire squad but in particular with our “leaders”, who must now stand up and be counted, or risk disappearing into mediocrity down south.
Do they really have what it takes to achieve something special with Rangers? Can they grow into winners for this club?
Or are they better served picking up £20-30k per week in the upper Championship to lower Premier League with no pressure to win every game but plenty of money to enjoy?
For many supporters, they are very much proving the latter.
