Pundit Kris Commons has hailed Rangers defender Ross McCrorie.
Moussa Dembele of Celtic is tackled by Ross McCrorie of Rangers
Pundit Kris Commons has told the Daily Mail that he feels Ross McCrorie was the one major positive to come out of Rangers’ performance in the 2-0 home defeat to Celtic.
Having invested in 11 new signings over the course of the summer transfer window, Rangers went into this season with some hope of closing the gap to Celtic, but it may be a case of more of the same for Pedro Caixinha’s men.
Rangers already entered the game five points behind the league leaders at the top of the Scottish Premiership, and that gap has become eight points after a comfortable win for Celtic at Ibrox this weekend.
Tom Rogic smashed Celtic in front early in the second half, before Leigh Griffiths slotted past Wes Foderingham for number two, having been slipped in on goal beyond the Rangers defence.
Rangers huffed and puffed but were simply outplayed by an impressive Celtic side, who are approaching 18 months without a domestic defeat having thrived under Brendan Rodgers.
For his counterpart Caixinha, there is plenty to reflect on after another Old Firm defeat, but one bright spot was defender Ross McCrorie, who filled in for the injured Bruno Alves at centre back on Saturday afternoon.
McCrorie, 19, was making his first start for Rangers in Saturday’s game, but the teenager coped admirably with playing on the big stage, earning huge plaudits for his performance in the heart of the Rangers back line.
Now, pundit Kris Commons has told the Daily Mail that McCrorie was the one major positive for Rangers, claiming that the youngster didn’t disappoint amid huge praise from Caixinha, adding that he could be ‘a gem of player’ for club and country in the coming years.
“If there was one positive to come out of Saturday’s Old Firm game, it was the performance of Ross McCrorie,” said Commons. “Pedro Caixinha was clear about what he thinks of the 19-year-old defender in the days leading up to the game. ‘Ross is going to be one of the best centre-halves in history — not just for his club, but for his country,’ was how the Rangers manager described him. Now that is some statement after this very inexperienced young lad played just 30 minutes of competitive football against Partick Thistle in the Betfred Cup. Honestly, I’d never heard of Ross McCrorie. But this weekend he was thrown into the deep end against Celtic. With countless injuries to the Rangers backline, he had a chance to become everything that his manager said he could be, even though this was going to be against the most prolific strikeforce in Scotland.”
“It was a huge ask for a teenager, but he certainly didn’t disappoint. A first league start and an Old Firm debut to boot. Although Rangers lost the game 2-0, it could have been more had it not been for McCrorie’s defensive impact. Of course, he is far from the finished article. He is young and still has a lot to learn. But Saturday’s experience will stand him in good stead. I really hope he is the type of professional who is going to work tirelessly at his weaknesses and understanding of the game. If he does, Rangers and Scotland will have a true gem of a player in their ranks,” he added.
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