Rangers have struggled in midfield so far this season.
Former player Derek Johnstone feels the Rangers midfield is a big problem area for boss Mark Warburton as the side currently lacks pace and penetration, the Evening Times reports.
The Gers made a number of new signings in the summer as the Ibrox club looks to challenge for the Scottish Premiership title, and among those have been midfielders Joey Barton, Niko Kranjcar and Jordan Rossiter.
Barton and Rossiter have quickly established themselves as two leading candidates for those central midfield slots, yet both are quite similar in playing style and a lack of balance has been evident.
Rangers have started the season with two wins and two draws, leaving them one point behind Celtic in second spot ahead of the Old Firm derby this coming weekend at Celtic Park.
Writing in his column for the Evening Times, Johnstone suggests a shake-up is needed in the middle of the park as he currently sees the midfield as a big weakness due to a lack of pace and penetration.
“There are problems in midfield, but the manager now has the choice of six or seven midfielders which he has never had before. I don’t think he knows what his best midfield is,” Johnstone wrote.
“They’ve got to have pace there, and they’ve got to have players who can tackle and can pass the ball.
“He’s tried Barton and he’s tried Rossiter, who I think is a smashing player, but when he plays Rossiter as the holding midfielder it pushes Barton further forward into an area that I don’t think he enjoys.
“Perhaps those two players trying to play the same way in the same side just can’t be accommodated.”
Barton arrived at Rangers with the promise of becoming the number one midfielder in Scotland, yet so far he has struggled to impose himself at Ibrox and fallen short of his own expectations.
Kranjcar seems like a decent attacking partner alongside the duo, but his age restricts his ability to play on a regular basis and there is no doubt his lack of pace can leave his side open through the middle.
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