Michael Stewart has told BBC Sportscene that Rangers boss Michael Beale cannot keep chopping changing Ibrox goalkeepers Jon McLaughlin and Allan McGregor – and says the two veteran stoppers cannot be particularly pleased.
Beale has used McLaughlin has played in three of the eight games Beale has been in charge for. McGregor, the other five. McLaughlin came in again on Wednesday night against Kilmarnock, as Rangers narrowly won 3-2 at Rugby Park.
Perhaps to blame for Killie’s first goal, and guilty of a shaky moment with a woeful pass in the final few seconds, the issue was analysed on BBC Sportscene’s highlights show after the match. The goalkeeping issue at Ibrox is in doubt.
Stewart was asked if constantly swapping goalkeepers is beneficial – and the ex-Hearts midfielder believes it will be annoying both goalkeepers. He says that Beale “can’t do that” in the long run, ruining any chemistry with the defence.
“It’s unorthodox. I’m pretty sure both goalkeepers won’t be particularly enamored by it either. At the weekend, he said McGregor is the no.1. But he’s not played the last couple of league games,” Stewart said in his analysis.
“We’ll see what happens. You can’t do that week to week, chopping goalkeepers. They will lose any continuity with defenders. It’s a little bit strange,” Stewart continued, on BBC Sportscene’s latest show on Wednesday night.
Stewart says Rangers boss Beale cannot keep changing Ibrox goalkeepers
Beale did say, over the weekend – as Stewart says – that McGregor is first choice. Rightly so, despite McGregor now being 40 years of age. However, the long-term issue between the sticks is, who comes in to finally end the changes?
Rangers need a goalkeeper. McGregor is expected to retire at the end of the season, while McLaughlin is contracted at Rangers until the end of the 2023-24 season. Stewart is right – chopping and changing cannot be good going forward.
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