Rangers and Steven Gerrard have failed to stop Celtic’s juggernaut, and all now rests on how the upcoming summer window pans out for the Glaswegian giants. The Bears need to add reinforcements to the squad, but the manager has also indicated (Daily Record) that he would want to get rid of some flop signings. Reports from the Daily Record convey that the likes of Borna Barissic, Kyle Lafferty and Eros Grezda are living on borrowed time and they could be sold in the summer.
The manager also indicated that his squad would be leaner for the next season so we can definitely expect some departures. Gerrard was quoted as saying, ‘’ If there are players I don’t need, it’s easy to address that. I’ll show the players an honesty and respect. If there’s someone who I don’t feel I can give happiness to, in terms of game time, then I’ll tell him. Then the decision’s out of my hands. It’s up to the player whether he wants to hang around here or whether he wants to go and play football, which is his profession.”
We try to see whether the three mentioned players in the report are worth keeping or selling
Kyle Lafferty
Signed with great hope, the big forward has hardly made any impact for Rangers this season. With Alfredo Morelos in great form, Lafferty was always going to find it hard to get game time. He looks alright when he is on the pitch, but it’s clear that the manager is unhappy with Lafferty’s overall commitment and desire. Recently Rangers played a friendly with Liverpool’s u-23, and they fell 4-0 behind at the half time. According to reports, some big players received scathing attacks for not wanting it enough. The Northern Irish striker’s name was also on that list. Therefore Lafferty’s time could be up, and if the manager feels that the forward is not giving a hundred percent, then he should look to sell him.
Borna Barisic
The Croatian international started well, but injuries have troubled him throughout the season. In terms of ability, Barisic is good enough to play for Rangers. However, his lack of desire and commitment seems to be a real issue here.
We believe he could still be given another season at the top level. It is not easy for players to settle in a new country and league and maybe because of injury issues, Barisic is sometimes afraid to go into 50-50 duels. We feel that Barisic could be worth keeping for another season and if things don’t improve then, Gerrard can sell him.
Eros Grezda
The Albanian international’s time at Rangers has been filled with injuries, but he has hardly shown anything on the pitch when he has been available. Rangers have also completed the signing of Jordan Jones and Jake Hastie. Jamie Murphy should also be back for next season. Grezda’s time does look up at the moment, and we don’t see him getting his place back in the upcoming season.
