Michael Stewart points out ‘desperate’ Rangers players on BBC Sportscene after 3-0 win v Annan
Rangers have players who are “desperate” to earn game-time this season, according to BBC Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst made wholesale changes to his starting line-up at Annan in the Scottish Cup on Saturday with Aaron Ramsey making his full debut and Mateusz Zukowski getting his first taste of action for the Gers.
Filip Helander also made a goalscoring return from injury while youngster Charlie McCann was handed his first-team debut for the Light Blues.
As well as that, a number of fringe players were handed a chance to impress and ex-Hearts player Stewart feels it shows how strong a squad van Bronckhorst actually has at his disposal at Ibrox.
“Look, with the greatest respect to Annan, Rangers could do that (make changes), they’ve got a strong pool of players,” said Stewart on BBC Sportscene on Saturday night [13 February].
“Obviously, some of the guys are desperate for game-time. Helander came back and Aaron Ramsey needed to get game-time so it was the perfect opportunity to do something like that [when you’re] fairly safe in the knowledge you’re still going to win the game.
“When you look at that Rangers side though, there are some top quality players that are in there and I don’t think there was an expectation that Annan were going to cause them many problems.
“It was a pretty routine performance result from Rangers.”
Strength in depth
Yes, we know it was against Annan but it was great to see van Bronckhorst make so many changes yet also be able to play so many senior players.
Jon McLaughlin, James Sands, Scott Wright, Steven Davis, Jack Simpson and Cedric Itten haven’t been playing much lately but they all got some game-time to show the relatively new Gers boss what they’re made of and also get some kind of match fitness.
Alex Lowry, Leon King and McCann also played with van Bronckhorst also using the Galabank showdown as one to blood some youngsters.
All in all, it was a job well done and the Light Blues are into the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup without having to risk most of their main starting players.
Next up is a showdown against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park in the Europa League.
What a game that will be and we’re glad that we’ll have a fully rested squad that’s fresh off the back of a couple of good wins ahead of it.
It’ll be tough and we’re not expecting a lot. But it’s going to be a massive occasion and one we cannot wait for.
In other Rangers news, Barry Ferguson has hit out at a “ridiculous” claim he’s heard about Ramsey.