Rangers fans have voiced their disappointment at Jordan Jones’ display in the Scottish Cup win over Stranraer at Ibrox.
The 25-year-old missed the majority of the first half of the season with a serious knee injury sustained against Celtic at the start of September.
He returned to training in late November, but an illness set back his progress, ensuring that he remained on the fringes and failed to make a playing comeback before the winter break.
Jones played a full part in the mid-season camp in Dubai, though, and was praised by supporters for grabbing an assist in the friendly win over Lokomotiv Tashkent.
That display paved the way for him to return to competitive football this evening, in what looked a great opportunity to show off his abilities.
Theoretically, against lower league opposition, he’d be able to wreak havoc when taking on full-backs.
However, it didn’t really work out that way.
It was a more workmanlike display from a rusty Gers team against a stoically defensive Stranraer and Jones was quiet.
The Northern Ireland international didn’t produce any real moments of magic and was substituted in the 63rd minute, being replaced by Sheyi Ojo.
Plenty of Bears were unhappy with what they saw, with some questioning his attitude on the night.
Here’s a selection of reactions from Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Dee702/status/1218279511017644041
https://twitter.com/SGLoyal7/status/1218287847314247682
https://twitter.com/derekharvey2011/status/1218282888199835649
While Jones hardly set the world alight tonight, it was always going to be difficult for a guy who has been out for a number of months, to come straight in and make an impact.
Hopefully, as we head into a congested period of fixtures, he’ll soon shake off the rustiness and start delivering the kind of exciting performances which made the Gers swoop for him last season.
