Jack Simpson has a long way to go to convince any Rangers fan that he is capable of providing cover for both Leon Balogun and Filip Helander, his display against Motherwell doing little to suggest that he has turned the corner.
Allowing Tony Watt to go clean through on goal only to be bailed out by a combination of Connor Goldson and Allan McGregor, Simpson wasn’t so lucky in the second half when he let Mark O’Hara waltz past him, unable to challenge him because he was already on a yellow card.
Vital Rangers has already found players who are vastly experienced in European football’s top leagues and with international experience but former Premier League striker, Noel Whelan, reckons that Steven Gerrard could look south for a tempororay solution if Simpson doesn’t buck up his ideas and Filip Helander is still unavailable, as told to Football Insider:
“Yeah, quite possibly.
“It depends on if and when he comes back. If he comes back fine by January then there is a case to say you don’t need anyone else.
“But what if someone else gets injured? Then you are right back in the same position.
“You are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. We know what the window is like in January, you pay over the odds and don’t sign players you actually want.
“If they do anything it will be a loan deal for a Premier League player, I would imagine.
“Someone who needs game time. They might just need that cover and backup.
“Signing a player in January becomes very expensive for any club. It’s an unfortunate situation for Gerrard, he needs to figure this one out.”
I’m not sure a loan deal would be any more productive than letting Simpson continue as back-up, there would still be an inherent risk and – if the former Bournemouth man is deemed surplus to requirements – if he is playing, he will at least be in the shop window.
There is also the fact that clubs would be reluctant to let players leave knowing that they were going to be – at best – third choice behind Goldson and Leon Balogun and even further down the pecking order when Helander returns to full health.
I’d still be an advocate of moving Calvin Bassey into a position he played in his academy days, he has the physicality and ability on the ball, which is already an advantage over Simpson, who is yet to display any qualities that resemble anything like a Rangers centre-half.