Rangers: BBC pundit slams Connor Goldson as footage emerges v Ayr Utd

BBC Sportscene pundit Kenny Miller slammed Rangers defender Connor Goldson after his “awful” lunge on an Ayr United player in their 2-0 Scottish Cup win on Saturday (10 February).

The Light Blues secured safe passage into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals with Borna Barisic’s early opener and Fabio Silva’s late strike decisive in a gripping contest at Ibrox against the Scottish Championship outfit.

However, the win was marred by controversy when Goldson made a “reckless” lunge on an Ayr player after he failed to control the ball.

Referee Willie Collum, who’s been involved in recent controversies with Rangers, allowed the phase of play to continue with the away side on the counter but the incident was not checked by VAR.

And Miller, speaking on BBC Sportscene (10 February, 14mins:11sec) slammed Goldson for his “reckless” and “awful” play.

Miller said: “You know, he overruns it here and there’s a lunge, no doubt about it and there’s definite contact there and you see when you slow it down like that, it looks awful doesn’t it John?”

“But, when you see it at full speed, his leg doesn’t go through him. I think he could be fortunate but I also think about the reaction from the player, he stays up and then releases Anton Dowds to go through 1v1 with Souttar.

“So the fact that he’s not gone down and not writhing in pain and agony and not making Collum make a decision, I just think it does help Goldson because that was pretty reckless.”

Goldson needs to cut out the recklessness in his game

That was a terrible lunge by Goldson even when the footage is seen at a normal speed. It is disgusting seeing players go in for challenges like that when they know they’re going to hurt someone.

There’s no justifying the senior Rangers man’s decision to lunge it like that as it could have been very damaging for his opponent had he fully connected.

Miller is right, the fact that the player hasn’t gone down and didn’t writhe in pain over the challenge certainly aided Goldson and allowed Collum to continue but the Light Blues man is awfully lucky.

Goldson has been stupendous at the heart of the Rangers defence for Philippe Clement but still lacks that composure and calm at times when things don’t go for him or he miscontrols the ball like in the Ayr incident.

Goldson is fortunate the referee doesn’t stop play after his awful challenge

It’s challenges such as those that can not only get himself in trouble but his Light Blues teammates and whether Clement will have had a word in his ear about that challenge remains to be seen.

However, it’s an area that Goldson seriously needs to work on if he’s to remain a key component at the heart of the Gers defence beyond this season.

In other Rangers news, Kris Boyd and Chris Sutton got into an argument live on air after a Gers controversy during the clash with Aberdeen at Ibrox.

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