Soccer Football - Europa League - Quarter Final - First Leg - Sporting Braga v Rangers - Braga Municipal Stadium, Braga, Portugal - April 7, 2022 Rangers' players looks dejected after the match REUTERS/Miguel Vidal
The knives are being sharpened around John Lundstram as the Micky Beale’s revamp is about to get underway.
Signed as a Bosman by Steven Gerrard in the summer of 2021 the scary Scouser is one of the highest paid players at Ibrox and about to enter the final year of his contract.
With Nico Raskin and Todd Cantwell shaping a bright new future logic suggests that it is time up for Lundstram but for one small issue.
It is the same issue that will prevent Scott McTominay checking in at Ibrox this summer and is the whole purpose of Football- MONEY.
In almost two years at Ibrox Lundstram has been influential for about three months, once he realised that he had immunity from Scottish referees.
The disastrous deals that took Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo and Nathan Patterson from Ibrox have raised a massive red flag to clubs looking at the remaining over-hyped stars.
Regardless of that, in-house favourite The Rangers Review has started the process of getting Lundstram out of Ibrox:
The ‘John Lundstram is the best on earth’ chant seems a distant memory as the Englishman has struggled to reach those dizzy heights. When Michael Beale was appointed as Van Bronckhorst’s successor there were concerns he wouldn’t fit within the style of play the former QPR boss was looking to adopt.
Unfortunately, those reservations seem accurate as he has struggled when afforded the opportunity to play in the engine room.
His below-par showing in February’s disappointing League Cup final defeat summed up his season as a whole and the immediate improvement when the entire midfield three was hooked to be replaced by Nico Raskin, Ryan Jack and Todd Cantwell was clear for all to see.
If that triumvirate are fit and available they must play which leaves Lundstram in a vulnerable position. He will undoubtedly be afforded opportunities as a squad member but is he suited to the fast-paced, intense football Beale is hoping to play.
Therefore, with a year left on his current deal, Rangers face a dilemma. Do they offer Lundstram what would be a lucrative extension? Do they allow him to run down his contract? Or should they look to offload an underperforming player?
At this juncture, with Beale looking to revamp the squad then finding a buyer for someone who appears uncomfortable performing in this Rangers team seems the most logical option.
Given his previous endeavours down south, there will likely be a host of clubs keen on acquiring his services so Rangers should expect a decent transfer fee.
Given his current wages, the need for a transfer fee and the increasing scrutiny on club finances there won’t be many clubs in the race to sign a pedestrian 29-year-old with a scary stare that was part of the Sheffield United side relegated from the EPL with 23 points from 38 matches in season 2020/21.
Thee must be a donkey sanctuary somewhere that will take him in, surely?
Or show up at the Grapes bar or the Louden for a gig.
But but he is the best player on the universe , what’s gone wrong?
Poor guy can’t sleep with all the clubs banging on his door to sign him.
Most teams want a player that can play football, his speciality is to bring players down.
Another freebie is what he’s worth.
“Given his previous endeavours down south, there will likely be a host of clubs keen on acquiring his services so Rangers should expect a decent transfer fee.“
So, in these straitened times all the clubs who could have had him for hee-haw two years ago when he was still fit and two years younger are now going to pay Sevco “a decent transfer fee” for this out-of-form relic, are they?
If you believe that, you probably believe that Sevco really ARE Rangers…..