Rangers: BBC pundit makes damning claim as old Connor Goldson scared of Motherwell man at Ibrox
Connor Goldson struggled badly against Motherwell as the Rangers defender looked old in defeat, according to Stephen Craigan.
The long-time Well defender said on BBC Sportsound on 2 March that he didn’t like to say of a man who played the same position as him but the Gers centre-back “looked his age” in the 2-1 defeat by his former side at Ibrox.
Goldson, 31, had a difficult time up against goalscorer Theo Bair with Craigan claiming that alongside an equally disappointing John Souttar the Light Blues veteran was scared of his opposite number.
Craigan said, via Football Scotland: “Connor Goldson is frightened of him – he doesn’t know whether to go tight or stick or drop off.
“No matter what he does he seems to get the better of him. John Souttar is a little bit tentative too thinking ‘he might do that to me as well’, so Goldson has looked a little isolated.
“I hate saying it about defenders but I think he’s looked his age today. He really has struggled and that pace of Bair in behind has not been easy for him.”
Rangers defender past it after Theo Bair clash at Ibrox?
It is easy to overreact to the sparkling run of wins coming to an end under Philippe Clement, but one off-day doesn’t negate all the work that has gone into pushing clear at the top of the SPFL.
That said, were it not for Celtic dropping the ball against Hearts the Gers would have given up the advantage in the title race already with the performance against Stuart Kettlewell’s men.
Goldson and Souttar both looked good in the 5-0 demolition of Hearts a week earlier, albeit under relatively little pressure, but when put on the back foot seven days later they were the total opposite.
The lack of defensive consistency in recent seasons has meant there has rarely been a set centre-back pairing for long, and it has helped undercut any title challenge under the two previous managers.
Goldson is a good defender and frequently makes key contributions for the team, but he is far from infallible and it is a measure of the state of the defence that he has essentially remained the undisputed number one option despite the additions of Souttar and Ben Davies, while Leon Balogun has left the club and returned.
At 31 he should have a few years left at the top but he will have to bounce back to make sure Craigan’s suggestion that he might be past his best doesn’t prove a damning one.
There is no need to throw the entire blueprint out of the window after one slip-up, but Clement will know his side can’t afford a repeat and there was enough of concern at the back against the likes of Bair and Blair Spittal for the Belgian to want a major improvement.
If Rangers are going to win a first league title in three years their senior central defender can’t be looking old or scared against anyone, with the margin for error minimal.
In other Rangers news, scouts have descended on an English ace as the Light Blues eye a free transfer deal.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.