There’s a bit of a theme developing with Aasgaard: you watch him and you’re not quite sure he knows where he’s meant to be when we’re out of possession. And at Rangers, that’s a problem, because most domestic games are decided by how quickly you win it back and how well you stop the cheap counter.
Even when we do have the ball, the runs and the positioning can look a wee bit off. Not always terrible, just… questionable. Like he’s arriving a second late, or drifting into areas that don’t really help the next pass. It can make the whole thing feel disjointed, especially when you’re trying to break down a set defence and every movement needs to be sharp.
Why Aasgaard feels like a project
To be fair, some players need coaching and repetition before it clicks. Off-the-ball roles can be the hardest part for a new face: when to jump, when to tuck in, when to hold your position so you don’t open a lane straight through the middle.
But that’s exactly why, at this moment, he doesn’t scream “starter” to me. Rangers don’t have the luxury of carrying passengers in the shape, not in games where the opposition are happy to sit in and wait for you making one sloppy turnover.
Dio’s not perfect, but you get more
Dio has his deficiencies as well. That’s not even up for debate. But the difference is you tend to get a bit more out of him across the full phase of play. Maybe it’s his willingness to get involved, maybe it’s just that he finds himself in more useful pockets more often, but he feels like less of a gamble from minute to minute.
That matters in Scotland. You don’t win many games at a stroll, and the teams that cause Rangers grief are usually the ones that make the match scrappy and force you into bad decisions.
The real gap: a creative midfielder with guile
Truth is, the bigger need still looks obvious: a creative midfielder, someone with a bit of guile who can unlock defences when they’re set and stubborn. Not just tidy passing, but the ability to take the ball in traffic, draw a man, and slip the pass that actually hurts.
You can have all the territory in the world, but without that one player who makes defenders turn their hips, you end up recycling it side to side and hoping for a moment rather than creating one.
As for Gassama, I’m in the “young lad who’ll get better” camp. Sometimes he does look a bit lazy in terms of tracking and helping the midfield or full-back, and that has to improve. But if he’s doing it at the right end, if he’s carrying threat and forcing teams back, you can see why a manager might live with the rough edges.
This month’s recruitment could tell us a lot. There’s still everything to play for, but the squad needs a bit more balance and a bit more invention if we’re going to make it feel that way on the pitch.
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