Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rolle was understandably unhappy with his team’s performance in Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Falkirk at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership.
In the post-match press conference, broadcast on the Heart & Hand podcast, the German coach cited decision-making as one of the main reasons for his side’s failure to pick up the three points.
Rohr also pointed out that too many players sometimes choose to back off and delay games, which is why Max Aarons should be left out of the starting lineup for future games.
Why Rangers should stop using Max Aarons at left-back
According to Sofascore, the Bournemouth loanee didn’t have a terrible performance against Falkirk at left-back, winning six of his seven duels and winning both attempted tackles.
However, Rangers always have a problem when Aarons plays at left-back. Aarons is a right-handed player and naturally wants to get back to his right foot as much as possible, which could slow down the attack and affect the team’s fluidity.
This contributes significantly to the problem that Rohr talked about with too many players turning away to play negative passes, as he is not a left-footed full-back who can attack from the flanks.
Journalist Johnny McFarlane said at half-time that “it’s clear that we’re struggling on the left side,” but it took until the 57th minute for Rolle to drop Aarons and bring in Jayden Meghoma, on loan from Brentford.
That’s probably because the English youngster, despite being a natural left-back, has fared worse than Aarons and will need to be replaced in January.
Why Rangers need to replace Meghoma in January
In his comments above, Rohr said he was already thinking about what was needed in the January transfer window and that signing a new left-back should be on the agenda.
In the summer, manager Kevin Thelwell released Ridvan Yilmaz and Jehute, signing Meghoma, who played just 12 games on loan at Championship side Preston as a teenager last season, as the only natural left-back option.
It was a big ask for the Brentford youngster to join Ibrox as the first and only natural left-back due to his lack of competitive experience, and his performances were of a player still learning and developing in senior football.
vs Falkirk | aaron’s | Megoma |
|---|---|---|
minutes | 57 | 33 |
key pass | 1 | 0 |
shot | 0 | 0 |
completed cross | 1 | 0 |
Dribbling completed | 2 | 0 |
Pass accuracy | 84% | 78% |
won a duel | 6/7 | 2/3 |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
As you can see from the table above, despite being right-handed, Aarons contributed more to the team with the ball on the pitch than Meghoma, who is a natural left-handed player, after coming on in the second half.
The 19-year-old full-back’s overall defensive work has left a bit to be desired this season, as he had less possession than Aarons against Falkirk and has lost 77 per cent of his aerial duels in the Premiership, according to Sofascore.
Even in Rohr’s first game as manager, against Blanc in the Europa League, his defensive ability was questioned, with manager Ally McCoist calling his failure to mark Jacob Sorensen from a set piece in the 3-0 defeat as “astonishing”.
Overall, Meghoma has yet to prove that he is a reliable player who can start every week for Gyor, both domestically and in Europe. As such, Rohr will need to bring in a senior and experienced left-back to replace him when the January transfer window opens.
Rangers have the talent to sell for more than Igamane & Aribo.
Rangers have an “incredible” talent who could be sold for a higher price than players like Hamza Igamane and Joe Aribo.
Bringing in a natural left-back who can provide a reliable performance for Rangers would allow Meghoma to learn his trade as a back-up, while also allowing Aarons to compete with James Tavanier for a starting spot in his natural role at right-back.
