Leaving Lee in limbo looks like lunacy by Gers
STEVEN GERRARD has got more right than wrong at Rangers.
That much is crystal clear and even with the spilling of five points in the last two games, it is obvious he’s forging a far more competitive team than Ibrox has seen in recent seasons.
But his chopping and changing of the back four is bizarre and undoing much of his good work, as is Gerrard’s rotating of the left-back position.
Let’s talk Lee Wallace. Is he still paying the price for the dressing-room bust-up at Hampden that saw Kenny Miller and himself suspended by the club in the wake of a 4-0 drubbing from Celtic that the duo deemed to be unacceptable?
Is he being punished for taking the decision to fine him to the SPFL and winning the case at an independent tribunal?
Miller’s case was straightforward for Rangers to sort out.
His contract was up at the end of the season and wasn’t renewed.
Problem solved, until he turns up at Dens Park on Sunday, gives Joe Worrall and Connor Goldson a hell of an afternoon, scores a goal and proves that even at 39 he could still be doing a job at Rangers.
Wallace, though, still had a year left on his deal. He is still training with the first team every day, yet when Borna Barisic was out with an injury that meant he missed 12 matches Wallace didn’t get a sniff.
His one appearance this season was for two minutes in injury time as Rangers tried and failed to defend a corner that saw Motherwell equalise in the 3-3 draw at Fir Park in August.
Wallace wasn’t named in the club’s Europa League squad, so couldn’t play the match that followed Fir Park. But he wasn’t even on the bench for the next domestic game at Parkhead when Rangers were lucky to suffer only a 1-0 defeat.
Other than the Scottish Cup clash with Ayr at Ibrox, when he was an unused sub, Wallace hasn’t even featured on the bench.
He’s fit – he played for the reserves last week – which means that unless Gerrard is acting under orders not to play him in the first team, the Rangers manager considers him his FOURTH choice left-back.
That would seem ridiculous. Barisic has looked good and if it was a straight choice between him and Wallace the Croat might get the nod.
But there’s no way Jon
It seems ridiculous that Gers see Lee Wallace as fourth best left-back
Flanagan and Andy Halliday are better left-backs than Wallace.
If the club have taken a decision that Wallace won’t play for them again, that’s their prerogative. They wouldn’t be the first employer to take the huff at an employee.
But if that’s the case, they aren’t doing Gerrard any favours because in some of the games when they’ve struggled his leadership and ability would have been useful.
However, if it really is just Gerrard’s call that’s maybe even stranger.
It’s obvious the Rangers defence would be stronger with Wallace at left-back. And right now it certainly looks like the backline needs all the help it can get. OUR TOP WRITERS GIVE THEIR FEARLESS VERDICTS EVERY DAY IN RECORD SPORT