OPINION
Rangers fans will have been excited to see new signings Steven Davis and Jermain Defoe in the starting XI against Kilmarnock in midweek, even if they went on to lose 2-1.
Both players put in promising displays despite the loss, with Davis providing some much-needed creativity in midfield while Defoe opened his account with a tap-in.
However, ahead of their crucial clash against Livingston on Sunday, manager Steven Gerrard has indicated that the big-name duo may be set for the axe, as quoted on the club’s official Twitter account.
??SG: Davis and Defoe haven't played much football of late so I will have to manage their game time moving forward.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) January 25, 2019
Obviously Gerrard’s concerns relate to the duo’s fitness, with both players sitting on the sidelines for much of the season so far at Bournemouth and Southampton.
Those concerns are obviously justified, and Gerrard’s decision to withdraw both from the action early against Kilmarnock was indicative of the issue.
Rangers fans may be keen to see both new signings line up again from the start against Livingston, but after Gerrard’s comments, that is highly unlikely to happen.
And, on the evidence of the loss against Killie, that may not be such a bad thing.
It looked like Gerrard was so keen to involve both players that the system kind of took a back seat, with the Light Blues looking disorganised and second-best for much of the match.
Being forced into dropping both Davis and Defoe may actually help Rangers go back to what they know and to what has worked well so far this season.
Either way, a win is the only acceptable result against Livingston, who sprung a huge surprise when they beat the Gers 1-0 at home in September.