Philippe Clement decision questioned after what he did at Rangers recently

Barry Ferguson has questioned Philippe Clement's decision to substitute Connor Barron in the Rangers win against Hearts.

Ibrox hosted the Maroons in the Scottish Premiership on 10 November, and an early Cyriel Dessers goal gave the home side all three points.

Barron started but was substituted in the 68th minute for Dujon Sterling, and speaking on the Go Radio Football Show Podcast [11 November], Ferguson was baffled that the midfielder was taken off and highlighted that the home crowd felt the same way.

"I was surprised when I saw his number come up to be substituted off," he said.

"I thought he was going good, still energetic and he's infectious. When he's on the pitch, he gets crowds up because he likes to go and close people down.

"One of his big attributes is his energy. I was surprised, and you could obviously hear the fans, they were pretty disappointed."

Connor Barron key player for Rangers

Rangers signed Barron this summer from Aberdeen, and the 22-year-old has instantly become an essential player for Clement at the club.

The Scotsman has also become somewhat of a fan favourite due to his style of play, which often relies on his tenacious attitude.

For the Bears, the midfielder has started in all but one fixture in the league this season, showcasing his importance to the team.

Against Hearts, while Barron wasn't at his best, he still made a big difference, with 85 per cent passing accuracy, creating one chance, making five passes into the final third, two clearances, one interception, four recoveries and attempting four duels, as per FotMob.

Clement can be forgiven for wanting to bring on someone like Sterling against Hearts to keep a hold of the narrow lead, but this wasn't the way to do it.

Barron is someone who gives the team much-needed energy in the middle of the park, which is an asset in situations where they need to keep the opposition at bay, so the decision to substitute him was somewhat counterintuitive.

In other Rangers news, a verdict has been given on Derek McInnes taking over the hot seat at the club.

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