With all due respect to Gillingham, Crewe Alexandra and Fleetwood Town, if Ross Stewart cannot score against this standard of opposition, is he really the man Rangers need to fill an Alfredo Morelos-shaped void in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s frontline?
With one year left on his contract – and having recently changed his agent – Rangers’ all-time most prolific European goalscorer is expected to leave Ibrox in the summer.
And, according to the Daily Record, former Celtic youngster and Ross County frontman Stewart has been lined up as a potential replacement.
Now, we’re not suggesting for a second Stewart cannot thrive where the likes of Cedric Itten have failed. The Ayrshire-born powerhouse has a proven track record in Scottish football, 22 goals to his name this season, and could hit the target for fun in a league ranked below that of the Netherlands, Austria and Portugal in FIFA’s coefficients.
But, since the turn of the year, Rangers have gone head-to-head with – and defeated – Celtic, Braga, Borussia Dortmund and Red Star Belgrade. Opposition of a far, far higher standard than Stewart is used to in the third-tier of English football.
And reports of Rangers’ interest come at a time in which Stewart in enduring his longest goal drought in 12 months. It is seven games now since he last hit the back of the net. He drew a blank against now-relegated Crewe and three more sides in the bottom five of League One.
What next for Ross Stewart?
Of course, there may be a rather simple explanation for Stewart’s loss of form.
“We’ve flogged Ross to death this year,” admits Black Cats boss Alex Neil of a man also linked with Norwich City (Chronicle). “Unfortunately for him, we don’t have anybody else.
“I think the most games he has played in one season is 36 or 38. At the moment, he is touching mid-40s in terms of games.
“So to expect the lad to come in at this level and churn that out repeatedly for that amount of time, having done what he has done already, you’re asking a lot of anybody to do that. I have sympathy for Ross.
“However, it only goes so far.”
Rangers’ scouting department, when assessing Stewart’s suitability, will take his entire season into account. The prolific beginning and the devastating middle, as well as the rather underwhelming end.
But, if Stewart wants to prove he’s ready for a bonafide European powerhouse – one with title and European ambitions – then an immediate return to his goalscoring ways could come in very handy indeed.
And not just for Sunderland’s own ambitions.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
