When Steven Gerrard took over the club’s mantle at Ibrox, he had a lot of things to look after. The defence was one of the major issues for the Gers last season as even though they were the highest scorers in the league, they came nowhere close to winning the league and finally finished third. To put that into perspective, they had the worst defensive record amongst any of the top 7 sides, and they conceded precisely double the number of goals that Celtic conceded. The Hoops let in 25, Rangers……. You do the math.
So it was clear that the first thing that Gerrard needed to solve was the soft underbelly in defence and he brought in the likes of Connor Goldson and Nikola Katic who have done exceedingly well so far. However, it seems like the former Liverpool captain still wants to add more reinforcements and backup in the centre back position and even after signing 11 players in the summer, he is looking to do one last piece of business as the transfer window draws close to an end.
Gers are looking to bring in Bournemouth’s defender Jack Simpson on loan. Gerrard is especially keen on a left-footed centre-back and no prizes for guessing that Simpson happens to be that kind of player. However, the latest report suggests that the Cherries have turned down the opportunity to send him on loan. But things can turn in the next few days, and the Gers would remain hopeful of luring him to the Ibrox Stadium.
Rangers Need A Defender And History In The Short Term Proves This Move Could Work
Simpson is the product of the Cherries academy, and it seems that Eddie Howe rates him highly. However, he is yet to break into their first team as last season he has made just four appearances in all competitions including one in the Premier League. He hasn’t been tested much at the top level, but the Gers would be hoping that a Premier League pedigree defender could come good in the Scottish Premiership. The move for Connor Goldson who came from the English top flight worked out well, as he has been an instrumental figure at the back and Simpson as a backup option won’t be a bad proposition at all.
The Teddy bears are just 180 minutes away from making it to the main draws of the Europa League, and new competition would add more strain on the squad so one can understand why Gerrard is still after a defender in the transfer market. If one looks at the team, then they are a centre-back short. Apart from Katic and Goldson, they have just Ross McCrorie who can play in the centre back position but, so far the manager has used him as a defensive midfielder.
A Little About Simpson’s Playing Style
Simpson has played decidedly less at the top level so he is untested but there must be a reason why he is working with the first team at the Vitality Stadium. The 21-year-old is young and there is a lot of room for improvement. Whenever he plays, he is usually a dominant figure at the back. He is aerially strong and smothers away almost anything that comes his way. Along with that, he is not too untidy with the ball on his feet and is capable of playing out from the back.
Also, though not much is known about the young defender, you can read this fantastic scout report on him by Pranjal Bhawal, a colleague of mine. He watched the pre-season friendly match between Bournemouth and Real Betis and this was Pranjal’s assessment of Simpson.
First off, if you are one of the 99.9% who has not witnessed this match, consider yourself lucky. It was the definition of a snoozefest, but anyhow we digress. While the Cherries conceded two goals, neither of the goals were remotely Simpson’s fault. In fact, in a genuinely dull match, Simpson more than held his own. With a strong physique, he was clearing almost everything thrown at him aerially.
While he was tiring at the end (a clear indication of lack of match fitness), his commitment was there for everyone to see.
With little to no backup option, the Teddy Bears should definitely try all means to land the Bournemouth defender before the transfer window shuts.
