Joe Rothwell looks finished at Rangers already, contract must be terminated after St Mirren scenes
Joe Rothwell has had a nightmare start to life at Rangers.
Rothwell, 30, joined Rangers from Bournemouth earlier in the summer window and represented a coup after his promotion with Leeds United last season.
There were initially high hopes for the Englishman under Russell Martin after making his debut against Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifier first leg.
With that being said, the general feeling around Ibrox has begun to turn towards the midfielder, something not helped by his performance against St Mirren.
The annoyance surrounding Rothwell has only increased as a result, something which could end with an early departure from Govan this campaign.
Joe Rothwell struggled again for Rangers vs St Mirren
Given the experience that the midfielder has, it felt as if he was an ideal addition alongside the likes of Connor Barron and Lyall Cameron in G51.
Ironically, it is the latter who has looked the more accomplished for the Light Blues in his opening appearances since moving from Dundee.
This fact was once again on show against St Mirren as Rothwell showcased a tired and lazy performance for the most part in Paisley.
| Stat vs St Mirren | Joe Rothwell |
| Shot accuracy (%) | 0 |
| Cross accuracy (%) | 0 |
| Duels lost | 3 |
| Chances created | 0 |
It says a lot that this isn’t the first time that the ex-Manchester United man has been accused of this since moving to Ibrox earlier in the window, with Kenny Macintyre describing Rothwell as a “huge concern” for Rangers previously.
This was echoed by Neil McCann on Sky Sports Football (24 August, 01:34pm), as he described him as “cooked” after “a couple of tired passes”.
As a result, the general feeling is slowly turning against the midfielder, who is continuing to cost Martin and his side dearly.
If his showing at The SMISA Stadium is anything to go by, moving him on at the next available opportunity could prove to be a wise move.
Joe Rothwell contract could be torn up early
Having penned a three-year contract just over a month ago, there would be a sizable payment involved in cancelling the contract of the former Southampton loanee.
With that being said, it could prove to be worthwhile, especially if Martin is also to move on after a string of terrible performances in charge at Ibrox.
If the 39-year-old head coach can’t get the best out of the midfielder, it feels highly unlikely that any new head coach would be able to.
As a result, it makes much more sense to favour the likes of Cameron, Barron and Bailey Rice in midfield and build them up, as opposed to focusing on a faltering 30-year-old.
This prospect has been backed up and then some by the substitute performance of Findlay Curtis, who came on and scored, showing exactly how poor Rothwell was.
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