Daniel Feliciano

Tue 18 October 2022 10:40, UK

Brian Laudrup has admitted that he finds it “puzzling” that Giovanni van Bronckhorst has dropped Fashion Sakala from his Rangers starting lineup after good performances.

The light blues have been suffering in the UEFA Champions League this season with four defeats from four, but have done well in the SPFL with seven wins from nine games and sit just two points behind Celtic.

But writing in his column for Scottish Daily Mail [18 October, page 68], former star man Laudrup believes the manager must stop chopping and changing his side needlessly and play the players that are performing, like Zambian international Sakala.

“You can see it’s a team lacking a bit of confidence,” he said. “At the end of last season, after losing the Europa League Final and winning the Scottish Cup, Rangers felt really tough to beat. They looked like a side that never gave up and could run all day.

“You have to say there’s been something missing in many of the games this season. A single cause is very difficult to identify. Lots of things have come together, including injuries and the slow impact of some summer additions. I also feel the management team could help themselves a little more in some of their selections.

“Look at Fashion Sakala. He played very well against St Mirren, scored a goal and set one up. He then played 75 minutes against Liverpool but wasn’t involved at all on Sunday. Unless there is a fitness issue, I find that a bit puzzling.

“When you are striving for consistency and stability, you have to build on the players who are actually performing. They bring confidence to the team and can help drag others along with them.

“Van Bronckhorst obviously sees the players on a daily basis at training. I don’t. But my experience of difficult periods is that you need to stick quite close to a starting XI where possible and not be making too many unnecessary changes.

“Some players maybe need the benefit of the doubt and assurance they will play the next three games. To do well in one Premiership game and not play in the next is strange.”

Tough

It’s certainly clear to see what Laudrup is saying, because this Rangers team looks bereft of quality and confidence right now.

However it’s also hard to argue with Van Bronckhorst as he is getting the right results domestically, only dropping points in two games all season with one of those being against Celtic.

Sakala had a great performance against St Mirren, but against Liverpool he was pretty poor and it’s fair to say the only reason he started the game to begin with was because of how well he played in the SPFL that prior weekend.

It’s safe to say that not many people would include Sakala in their strongest Rangers lineup, so it’s possible that Van Bronckhorst is doing exactly what Laudrup wants and is trying not to make unnecessary changes to his attack.

If the poor form of Ryan Kent continues over the next few games then Sakala is likely to get another look in soon, but for now we have to trust the boss to do the right thing.

In other Rangers news, Kenny Miller named one Rangers ace in his SPFL team of the week after win v Motherwell