Michael Beale got Nicolas Raskin call wrong before Celtic Viaplay cup final loss – Chris Jack
The Glasgow Evening Times’ Chris Jack believes Michael Beale’s decision to leave Nicolas Raskin on the bench was the wrong call after Rangers were beaten 2-1 by Celtic in the ViaPlay Cup final.
The Belgium under-21 international featured against Livingston and Partick Thistle and was potentially in line for a start at Hampden Park.
However, the Light Blues’ boss opted for the tried and tested partnership of Glen Kamara and John Lundstram, which didn’t pay off.
Jack has suggested the call to leave Raskin on the bench “set the tone” for the rest of the afternoon, which ended with a relatively easy cup victory for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
“Beale had one big selection question to solve. There would have been anxiety amongst supporters when they saw the answer and their fears were then played out as Celtic dominated the midfield and controlled large swathes of the match,” wrote Jack (The Glasgow Evening Times, 27 February).
“It is easy to be wise after the event but it has to be said that the manager got it wrong and Nicolas Raskin should have been in his starting line-up. That call set the tone.”
Hindsight
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and right now, the right call would’ve been to start Raskin. He’s been performing well since his arrival at the club and looks like a player who will go on to be an asset for Rangers.
One counter-argument for the Light Blues’ boss is that Raskin could have started and endured a difficult time regardless – a scenario which would’ve also seen Beale scrutinised. He should’ve gambled, and it’s something he will learn from, particularly if both sides meet again in the Scottish Cup.
Raskin has the technical ability which could allow the Gers to dominate the ball in the centre of the park. Beale alluded to Sunday being a learning curve regardless of the result and that’s simply what it has to be.
The Bhoys are sadly a long way ahead in terms of quality at present and there will need to be another significant overhaul in the summer.
In other Rangers news, the club are in line for a multi-million windfall from the Premier League after a £10m Auchenhowie milestone was reached.