Your Rangers questions answered: Does John Lundstram have future?

John Souttar looked composed alongside Connor Goldson – could that be the future partnership?

Euan: It's certainly an option. Souttar has impressed recently and there's no doubt over his quality but maintaining fitness remains the biggest question mark. Rangers felt confident in the summer that they’d be able to solve Souttar’s injury problems - Ross Wilson stated this publicly at the AGM last November - and the club were cautious when managing his return. 

Michael Beale will strengthen his centre-back options with Filip Helander departing and Ben Davies’ future still uncertain. Goldson and Souttar are guaranteed to be at the club next season and their partnership has looked promising. It’s worth noting that Souttar has been playing on his weaker side at left centre-back but he’s looked comfortable in stepping out from the back. 

Rangers were forced into playing Leon King and James Sands together, due to injuries, earlier this season and that massively hindered performance levels in big games.  Souttar’s return to fitness, and form, provides Rangers with depth at centre-back and he will be afforded the remaining three games this season to make his case to be a starter next season. Two clean sheets on the bounce is a great start!

Where has that been all season? Delighted with the win to be fair to them.

Stevie: Every Old Firm since Beale has come in they have been close. In both Hampden encounters, Rangers missed glaring open goal opportunities but the game plan has been solid enough since Beale's arrival. The main issue has been that Rangers have blown their own foot off at times and not won the battle of the boxes. That's a point Beale's made repeatedly. 

So, as simplistic as it sounds that was the difference - they cut out the mistakes and took their chances. Under Beale, it’s been coming and if you coldly look at the facts, it’s been close every time. 

Think the overriding question is - can we build a team and squad that can compete and deliver across a season when it matters and not just for the only Old Firm game that has no tangible cause?

Stevie: Yes. I would revert back to previous points by looking at just how much Beale has got out of a broken squad this season and how close the Old Firm games have been. 

If he gets his targets, then we can have faith given his eye for a player. Cantwell, Raskin and even Aribo and Bassey are proof of that - all of which he played a huge part in securing. It’s a big task and it requires some patience. Not everyone will cost millions, there will be a free transfer or three and for that, we must trust the manager. 

It’s a big job but perhaps Saturday does show that the likes of Ridvan, McCrorie, Cantwell and Raskin along with Tavernier, Goldson, Souttar, Jack are a solid platform to build upon. With three more games this season, everyone must prove that point and keep pushing on. 

New deal for Lundstram or sell? I thought he looked good in the last two games. With Jack and Raskin in midfield, it allowed him to go box-to-box again?

Euan: Lundstram’s improvement in recent weeks has been noticeable and it poses Beale with a dilemma in the summer. The midfielder’s contract runs out next summer and Rangers will be cautious about losing another player for free after Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent. However, Lundstram’s situation is slightly different as he arrived at Ibrox for free after his contract expired at Sheffield United. 

The midfielder turns 30 next season and Beale will have to weigh up the merits of handing a new deal to a player on good wages. The biggest question is whether Lundstram will be central to Beale’s long-term plans with a major rebuild expected this summer. 

Raskin will be integral to Rangers next season and his deployment as a deep-lying midfielder against Celtic offered an insight into how Beale will utilise him next season. Raskin’s role allowed Lundstram more freedom to be a box-to-box midfielder and the Englishman thrives in high-tempo games - as showcased in Europe last season. 

His energy and physicality are an asset to Rangers when performing this role but he often struggles in games against teams in a low-block, when tasked with breaking down defences by way of incisive passing. 

READ MORE: Analysing Robby McCrorie's Rangers brilliant no.1 audition

Central midfield is an area that Beale will strengthen in the transfer market with Kieran Dowell’s arrival imminent. Dowwel is a different profile of player to Lundstram but Beale will want variation in midfield, depending on the opposition. Ideally, Rangers would look to tie Lundstram down on a one or two-year contract extension to protect their asset but it remains to be seen whether he’d be happy with that arrangement.

Do you think Matondo and Hagi are more valuable to Rangers being sold for recruitment purposes? Neither have impressed me by grasping their opportunities in the last games.

Stevie: Hagi and Matondo both have value in the transfer market, of that there is no doubt. I don’t think it’s a secret we will have to self-fund some of our rebuild, so players may have to depart.

I also think it’s fair to say neither have grasped opportunities but in Hagi’s case, he has had the worst injury to recover from and needs a big pre-season. I don’t think Rangers are in a rush to sell but if an attractive offer comes in, Ianis may have a decision to make. As for Rabbi, bluntly, it’s been a move that hasn’t worked. Even on Saturday, I don’t think there was much there but things can change very quickly. If Rangers were offered their outlay back I think they wouldn’t be hard to deal with. 

Celtic are not as far ahead of Rangers as they like to think, we have always handed the games to them and the way they played on Saturday has proven that?

Euan: Rangers have been punished for individual errors against Celtic this season but they managed to avoid those on Saturday. Since Beale replaced Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the Ibrox side have improved against their biggest rivals and that head-to-head record will be decisive in the destination of the title next season. Beale’s game plan against Celtic in recent encounters has worked and nullified their attacking threat. Rangers were the better team in the Scottish Cup semi-final but they lacked a killer instinct in the final third and Fashion Sakala’s miss was inexcusable.

Some will argue that Saturday’s result was immaterial due to Celtic naming a rotated side but their starting eleven had played more minutes than Rangers’ side this season. Recruitment this summer will be crucial to closing the gap and Rangers’ chances of reclaiming the title this season. 

Celtic’s squad strength is superior to Rangers, especially in attacking areas and it’s vital that Beale adds at least one quality striker to his ranks. Kyogo has been the difference maker on so many occasions for Celtic and Rangers haven’t had that potency in front of goal with Morelos and Antonio Colak not of the required standard. 

Celtic have scored 20 more goals than Rangers in the league this season and that highlights the difference in attack. Ultimately, the gap is measurable by looking at the league table but Rangers should have a growing belief that they can bridge that next season.