Steven Gerrard must use Rangers duo Steven Davis and Allan McGregor – Barry Ferguson
Rangers are going through a sticky patch at the moment.
The Gers are top of the Scottish Premiership table, but arch-rivals Celtic are breathing down their neck, with only two points behind them.
Rangers are lacking the consistency and ruthlessness of last season, and it won’t be an exaggeration to say that they’re failing to match the standards they had set for themselves.
Former Ibrox hero, Barry Ferguson has suggested that it’s time for Gerrard to start using experienced players, particularly Steven Davis and Allan McGregor.
He has suggested that Rangers are a better side when Davis dictates the game from midfield. He wants them to be included based on merit and the quality they possess. Ferguson wrote for the Daily Record:
“Davis seemed to be particularly missed the other night. I watched Rangers struggle at St Mirren for 25 minutes at the weekend and, when others might have started to panic, he just grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.
“As soon as they saw him imposing himself, dominating possession and picking passes, the rest started to relax. That’s what he brings to the team in difficult situations – a calmness and composure which comes with supreme ability. Take him out and the team suffers.
“On Wednesday night, when they needed him to pop the ball around and take control of the midfield, they looked a little lost.
“Gerrard admitted afterwards that his players had forgotten to move around the pitch as a team. That was very telling because that’s exactly the job Davis does for him when he plays.”
Valid point
Ferguson has a valid point here. At 36, Davis cannot play week in week out, but it is up to Gerrard to use him properly.
Last season, Rangers moved the ball very quickly, and that happens when you’ve someone in the middle who is very busy. That’s the role of Davis.
He keeps the game ticking, and although the five-yard passes may appear simple, to do it consistently throughout the game is not easy.
Davis is calm and composed on the ball. He is vastly experienced and knows when to play a killer pass to open up the defence. Back in January, Gerrard hailed him as a “wonderful” footballer, adding he is a manager’s dream.
With games coming thick and fast, Gerrard must use him wisely. Against Aberdeen, especially in the second half, Rangers didn’t look like a team that can score from an open play.
The Gers lacked composure and they gave the impression of a disjointed unit. This is where experience comes into play, and Ferguson is right that Gerrard may have missed a trick on Wednesday.
In other Rangers news, the Gers are set to be without a Gerrard stalwart at Fir Park.