Surely it’s time for Steven Gerrard to turn to Lee Wallace to bring solidity back to the left side of the Rangers defensive line?
Last night was another example that Jon Flanagan simply isn’t up to the task of regularly performing at left-back and with injury blighting Borna Barisic’s season, that leaves Wallace as the only natural replacement.
There is Andy Halliday of course but, while the boyhood Gers fans is a committed and determined performer, he isn’t the long-term answer in defence either.
Wallace has had an enormously difficult time with injuries over the last 12 months, something which Gerrard highlighted during the club’s AGM during the week.
Ultimately though the manager feels his exclusion from first-team action this season is justified.
As quoted by The Scottish Sun, Gerrard said this week of Wallace:
I have to pay my respects to Lee in terms of his professionalism.
At the moment to be really candid he’s still part of the plans while he’s here but I have better options at the moment in that position.
My relationship with Lee is fine. He trains with us every day and is pushing hard to regain his place in the team.
Obviously Gerrard sees more than me of Wallace during everyday training, but it’s hard for me to believe that he isn’t ready to play at a standard beyond Flanagan right now.
He’s worth a shot in a match against a bottom half Scottish Premiership opponent at least and in giving him that opportunity will at least answer a lot of questions fans have about his situation.
Lee Wallace is far from a complete footballer, and has had his off-field issues at the club, but has always given his all in a Rangers shirt and more often than not performed with distinction.
To see him ousted by someone playing as poorly as Flanagan doesn’t sit right with me and hopefully the manager figures it out sooner rather than later.
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