I will start with a ferociously stinging backhanded compliment - it probably isn’t possible for Rangers to play worse whilst still being the best team in the country.
The Ibrox outfit remains top of the league after seven rounds of fixtures, yet you couldn’t honestly say that they have hit the heights in a single game. It hasn’t been pretty at all.
Your take on the early season form really does come down to whether your glass is half full or half empty. The team is either picking up wins and still top of the league, so watch us when we hit form, or playing so poorly that more dropped points feel inevitable.
I probably still just about remain in the glass half full camp, but the evidence is starting to build for a half-empty glass in coming weeks and the real concerns lie in the defence.
Over his time at Rangers, I have been a fierce defender of Connor Goldson. Even during the early inconsistent periods under Steven Gerrard where his mistakes were obvious, I still think he got a raw deal from many. He was evidently the leader who was trying to hold together a defence alongside raw centre backs such as Niko Katic or Joe Worrall.
Then came a season he will likely never better. The stalwart at the back as Rangers broke all sorts of defensive records and won the league.
My own vote for player of the year, Goldson barely put a foot wrong and played every second of the unbeaten league season. Only months later, it is uncomfortable to watch his drop in form as the new season has stuttered along.
Goldson’s start to this season has been indifferent if you are being kind. The Celtic game brought out the best in him, but in other matches, he’s been a cog in a defence that’s looked incredibly weak.
That came to a head on Saturday in Dundee when Rangers’ backline looked at its most vulnerable.
Set pieces were defended terribly, Dundee looked capable of scoring at any moment, and Goldson appeared a shell of the previous season’s colossus as he allowed McMullan to run away from him leaving McLaughlin no option but to concede a penalty.
Rangers left Dens Park with 3 points but there’s no doubting that barely masks the fundamental and worrying mistakes that lie in the defence, the calm and composed figurehead of Goldson has disappeared.
In previous battles, the opposition tends to put their physical or pacy attacker up against the other centre back, looking to pounce on an error. On Saturday, Dundee often focused on Goldson.
Many have pinpointed his unknown contract situation as the reason for his poor form. His deal ends in the summer of 2022 and he may be running it down to depart on a free. Some surmise his mind is elsewhere. This may well be the case but don’t put too much emphasis on it. After all, he isn’t the only one struggling to find form and the others have longer contracts in place.
If Goldson has a terrible few months, any potential suitors may look elsewhere. It’s naive to ignore that he may have had his head turned, but he’s a professional who has huge respect for the club and you'd expect him to find his way through this rough patch regardless of whether he intends to leave or not.
READ MORE: Rangers and Connor Goldson will suffer if contract saga rumbles on - Derek Clark
The fact is, Gerrard has no option but leave him to play through his poor form. With Helander injured for at least the next two or three months, he remains a necessity.
Jack Simpson inspires no confidence when he has played and Katic is in Croatia for the foreseeable future. It has been heartening to see Leon Balogun improve in recent weeks after a very ropey start - perhaps the experienced Nigerian should step forward into a leadership role and allow Goldson to focus on the basics.
At one point on Saturday, the Englishman awkwardly fumbled the ball and conceded a corner. He turned round to yell at the midfield for not stopping it earlier. It was difficult to take that cry seriously when Goldson couldn’t carry out his own task; leadership has to be set by example and if he is struggling himself, how can he expect such standards from others? If Balogun can continue his steady form, his voice may ring louder from the leadership group in the short term.
Rangers got off lightly on Saturday, but they won’t be afforded such luck in the next three games. Sparta Prague, Hibs, and Hearts will provide significantly tougher tests and if Goldson can’t step up, taking nine points from those games looks near impossible. Teams smell blood in that backline and it’s difficult to imagine the likes of Boyle, Nisbet and Boyce passing up the chances Dundee were presented at the weekend.
Gerrard's men are unlikely to recapture the attacking flair that was so impressive last season. Titles can be won without that, Rangers have been that team many times and I think fans could live with that.
What seems extremely unlikely, is that you win a title without a competent defence. With better teams lying in wait, Goldson needs to get back to basics or this season will descend into a nasty slog that this squad's talent should allow them to rise above.
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