Michael Beale made Rangers mistake v Celtic, he must now unleash Todd Cantwell
It’s now time Rangers boss Michael Beale starts Todd Cantwell after his critical selection decision against Celtic in the Viaplay Cup final.
The Gers left Hampden Park empty-handed after the 2-1 defeat to Ange Postecoglou’s side in a somewhat underwhelming performance against their Old Firm rivals.
In what was Beale’s biggest managerial test of his career so far, there was major criticism for the team the former QPR manager selected against the Gers’ fierce rivals.
Beale opted to start John Lundstram and Glen Kamara in the midfield pivot, while Malik Tillman was handed a starting slot in the attacking midfield role after only returning to training from injury a couple of days earlier, however, none of them performed particularly well, with all three players receiving a poor rating of just 4/10 for their performances at Hampden [Scotsman, 26 February]
A home tie against Kilmarnock awaits this afternoon and gives the Light Blues a chance to close the gap between them and Celtic to six points at the top of the table and Beale should look no further than turning to Cantwell to provide the solutions he needs.
The former Norwich City man, who joined on a free transfer in January, has rather started off his career at the Gers incredibly well, picking up a very respectable 7.22 rating [SofaScore] across his four league appearances so far, and Beale made a critical error not starting him against Celtic.
So far, the 25-year-old has managed to grab an assist, recorded 1.5 key passes per game create one big chance, and take 64 touches on average proving that he’s got what it takes to be the difference-maker for Beale in the final third, ahead of Saturday’s crucial game against Kilmarnock.
Managers live and die within the media by their selection and tactical choices, and Beale certainly caught the brunt of his own decisions after Sunday’s damaging defeat.
Trusting Cantwell with the responsibilities to drive his Gers team forward in the creative department can well prove one of his best decisions between now and the end of the season. The player deserves consistent opportunities.
In other Rangers news, Beale shares an official club update on current stars’ contract situations.