One thing we have discovered under Giovanni van Bronckhorst is that Calvin Bassey is improving with very game he plays and has the potential to be a key player for Rangers for years to come.
He started the season well playing at left-back deputising for Borna Barisic but, with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander being injured and Jack Simpson not registered, when he joined Connor Goldson in the heart of defence against Sparta Prague it was the beginning of his longest run of games as a professional footballer.
Bassey was unlucky with the own goal against Lyon but he will learn from that and we have seen enough in the last five games to feel comfortable with him at centre-half, a blessing not afforded to the man he has leap frogged in the pecking order – Simpson.
Speaking to Football Insider, Alan Hutton reckons that Simpson faces an uphill battle to stay at the club now that he is fifth choice for his position and that doesn’t include Niko Katic who has plenty of credit in the bank should he return:
“It’s an interesting one isn’t it?
“We can’t sit here and say that he’s not had enough opportunities or he’s not had game time. Simpson has come in.
“It has been difficult, probably, for him because he’s been a little bit in and out. Calvin Bassey’s come in, rolled his sleeves up got on with it and worked hard.
“He deserves to keep his position. He looks like a guy who doesn’t care where he plays. He just wants to play football.
“When you’re putting in performances and are defensively sound, the manager’s going to trust you. He’s going to keep you in there.
“There’s not any real reason to change it. It’s going to be a real fight for Simpson to get back in this team because defensively, they are looking decent.”
Simpson has had opportunities but he’s not shown anything in terms of aerial ability, quality in possession or physical attributes that suggest he will make it as a Rangers player, not every signing will work out and on a free, it was worth the gamble.
Now that Bassey has matured though he simply isn’t needed and by moving him on we will free up money on the wage bill and a space in the squad, a straight swap for John Souttar would be an immediate upgrade and add balance seeing as he is more comfortable on the right-hand side of defence.
Hutton is right, Bassey has always looked like a player who is desperate to do well whereas Simpson looks like one terrific to make mistakes, the Rangers shirt doesn’t shrink to fit those that aren’t big enough to wear it.