A win is a win. That’s what Rangers fans will be telling themselves today after seeing their side narrowly beat St. Mirren by a goal to nil. To be honest, however, winning games when you’re not at your best is what title-winning sides do. But to these Rangers fans, the reason they played so poorly is glaringly obvious.
When the team sheet was announced, the fans questioned Steven Gerrard’s choice of midfielders. He lined up with Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara and Steven Davis all playing in the middle of the park. And while these players are all top quality in their own right, playing a combined 91 games this season, the fans think the combination lacks creativity. In their 91 games, the trio has only managed to register 14 assists between them. Rangers left-back, Borna Barisic, has 14 assists to his name on his own.
These fans would have liked to have seen Gerrard throw caution to the wind and line up with a more offensive team in this game, especially with Jermain Defoe playing up top.
I love all individually but Jack, Davis and Kamara all do the exact same thing and in these games it’s no use. I still think we need a natural #10 type or at least a midfielder who is forward thinking.
— Kirst (@kirsten93_) January 22, 2020
Jack, Davis & Kamara is so unnecessary against St mirren at home
— Kieran (@kieranmcl96) January 22, 2020
Tav is such a miss. Hopefully people see what he brings to the team now. Also think at Ibrox we don’t need the Jack, Davis, Kamara 3 as all similar, need a link between the striker. A Proper goalscoring midfielder.
— Kendal ®™ (@Kendal__RFC) January 22, 2020
A proper playmaker needed. Jack, Davis and Kamara are a clone of each other. Especially trying to break teams down.
— cozy1872 (@cozy1873) January 22, 2020
The lack of creativity from midfield is an issue. Jack, Davis & Kamara are all very good players, but they all do a similar job. Something different is needed against these teams that sit in.
— Faceless (@FacelessRanger) January 22, 2020
Another striker and a proper attacking midfielder ,jack Kamara and Davis all too similar in terms of going forward .
— Gordon smith (@Gordonsmith1980) January 22, 2020
Would hope that’s the last we see of Flanagan ahead of Patterson. Solid and dependable but plays full-back like it’s 1981. Davis, Jack and Kamara, imo, does not work well in games like tonight if Defoe is the striker.
— BIG BUFF FAN (@CemetryGates89) January 22, 2020
Would you have sacrificed one of Gerrard's starters to play Arfield?
Yes
No
Other fans think Scott Arfield would have been the perfect player for this kind of match. While he didn’t start, he did make an appearance from the bench.
Not sure we need to play Davis, Jack and Kamara together when we’re clearly going to dominate the ball. Rather leave one out and use Arfield, or drop Aribo back, and get Ojo/Jones stretching the width
— Jasper (@piesneame) January 22, 2020
Not sure we needed those 3 midfielders tonight. Arfield surely a better option against a ‘park the bus’ team than Kamara?
— Andy McKellar (@AMcKellar89) January 22, 2020
That was the old midfield against the low block, I thought we’d all agreed that Arfield was the better option for those games?
— Gavin Kelly (@gmkelly1979) January 22, 2020
What do we think?
It is hard to criticise Gerrard at the moment. He is challenging in almost every competition his team enters and has only lost three games this season as Rangers manager. But these fans think his judgement when setting up to play low block teams needs some adjustment.