Most Rangers fans would be able to pick out what players would come under the category described by Ross Wilson as “non-contributing“.
Individuals like Jake Hastie and Brandon Barker will never see the bench again, never mind get the chance to wear the famous Light Blue jersey, and against St Johnstone there was as good an indication that Jack Simpson won’t get any closer than the bench either.
With Leon Balogun and Filip Helander injured, Simpson should have been getting a regular game recently but instead we have moved Calvin Bassey inside to play next to Connor Goldson – an opportunity he has grabbed with both hands.
Bassey looks assured in possession, strong 1 v 1, and is improving in the air with every game, that he has taken to going on mazy runs showing exactly how comfortable he now feels in the role, everything that Simpson isn’t.
When Borna Barisic couldn’t play any longer due to illness, the obvious move was to bring Simpson on and move Bassey out to left-back keeping the two natural left footers on, however, Giovanni van Bronckhorst decided that Nathan Patterson was the better replacement despite being right-footed – making him the sixth choice centre-half if you include Niko Katic, and fourth choice left-back.
Is there even any point him being in the squad, surely having an academy player on the bench would be more beneficial?
Simpson won’t be stupid, it was a move that he couldn’t turn down but it just hasn’t worked out and he is at an age where he needs to be playing regularly, there is now a 4-1 Old Firm win on his CV and a Scottish Premiership winners medal in his back pocket, but it’s time to move him on and say “thanks, but no thanks”.