Sportsound pundit goes badly off message as he slaughters new Ibrox star

Richard Foster has gone badly off message by criticising the return of Leon Balogun to Ibrox.

The former Ross County and St Johnstone defender played for both Ibrox clubs either side of spells with Aberdeen and Bristol City and now appears to be in with the bricks with BBC Scotland.

With the transfer war-chest virtually emptied Micky Beale signed up Balogun a year after he had been released from Ibrox.

Last season the Nigerian played 16 matches for Queens Park Rangers which is more than his replacement, John Souttar managed at Ibrox.

With Connor Goldson crocked and Ben Davies utterly underwhelming there are serious concerns over Beale’s central defensive options while he overloads his squad with attacking players.

Listening in to Radio Scotland this afternoon The Sun reports:

Former Rangers defender Richard Foster wasn’t a big fan of Balogun during his first spell at the club.

And the pundit – who had two spells at Ibrox – reckons bringing him back is a move that stinks of desperation.

Asked by Radio Scotland presenter Liam MacLeod if the move was a “no-brainer”, Foster wasn’t convinced and was happy to say so.

He said: “I’m going to upset a lot of people here – but I do that no matter what I say.

“I think it’s a bit desperate from them (Rangers). I was never fully convinced with Balogun when he was here. Initially I gave him an allowance because I thought he was younger. I didn’t realise he was in his thirties.

“I think he makes a lot of mistakes and he doesn’t look composed when you compare him to Connor Goldson who for me is a very good defender.

“He’s composed and has a presence about him – and I don’t think that Balogun brings that.

“He brings a nervousness to the Rangers defence when he plays, from the outside looking in.”

After BBC Scotland went the extra mile to get back inside the Ibrox media tent there is bound to be concerns that Foster has followed Michael Stewart in abandoning the group-think policy pushed by Kenny Macintyre, Alasdair Lamont, Jane Lewis, Tom English and Steven Thompson.