Philippe Clement tipped to snub Connor Goldson for Rangers clash v St Mirren by Ibrox Insider
Rangers manager Philippe Clement will leave Connor Goldson out of his starting XI for the Gers’ Premiership clash with St Mirren, according to Barry Ferguson.
The English defender was named among the substitutes for the Light Blues’ Scottish Cup semi-final win over Hearts on Sunday (21 April), with Clement instead opting to start a defensive pairing of John Souttar and Leon Balogun.
While some pundits have suggested that Goldson will return to the fold having been rested ahead of Sunday’s (28 April) trip to St Mirren, Ibrox insider Ferguson thinks the 30-year-old and Ben Davies face a fight to get back in the team.
Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show (22 April, 13:20) he said: “I think both Balogun and Souttar start the next game and it’s up to Connor Goldson and Ben Davies to fight their way back into the team.
“I just like him [Balogun], he just does the job very simply. Very aggressive as a defender but when he gets the ball he lets other players go and play their football.”
Will Connor Goldson start for Rangers against St Mirren after Hampden snub?
Goldson has really struggled for form over the last few weeks at Ibrox as the English centre-back has seen his standards dip at the same level as many of his teammates in Clement’s side in Glasgow.
The defender has been a bit of a scapegoat at times throughout his time at Ibrox, but his performances have not been at the level required to play week in and week out in a team with genuine title aspirations this term.
Balogun is not the perfect defender himself and it wasn’t so long ago that pundits and supporters alike were criticising the 35-year-old for big mistakes in an Old Firm clash, but his display at Hampden showed he had to remain in the starting XI.
Whether or not the Belgian will risk reintroducing Goldson into the fold against St Mirren next time out remains to be seen. No matter what decision the Rangers boss ultimately comes to, there will be sections of the support unhappy.
In other Rangers news, Aberdeen’s asking price has emerged for Bojan Miovski ahead of the summer transfer window
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