Souttar, Barron and the value of opinion

Not rating a player as first choice is not the same as having an agenda. On Souttar and Barron, the debate should be about roles, standards, and where Rangers go next.

Theres a bit of a habit around Rangers discussions where a simple football opinion gets treated like a personal slight. Truth is, fans can watch the same 90 minutes and land in different places. Thats normal. And it doesnt automatically mean someone doesnt know football just because theyre not handing out captains armbands and contract extensions to everyone who strings a few decent games together.

Souttar: useful player, but is he the main man?

On John Souttar, its fair to separate what he is from what we might want him to be. You can acknowledge he can do a job for Rangers, without pretending hes the standout centre-half at the club. Some supporters look at him and see a solid option who can fill in. Others see a starter. Thats the whole point of opinion.

The comparison with the Helander period is a decent way to frame it too. At times in recent seasons its felt like our best centre-back option is the one we cant rely on being available, which then pushes the rest of the group into roles they maybe wouldnt own in an ideal world. When that happens, every mistake gets magnified because the whole unit is a bit less settled.

And thats where the contract chat comes in. A new deal and a wage rise should be tied to being a clear first pick and a clear level-setter in the back line. If you see Souttar as more of a back-up level defender, then its completely reasonable to say: keep him around if it suits, but dont overpay or over-commit.

Barron: progress is obvious, but first-pick is another step

Connor Barron is a different conversation. Development can be real without it automatically meaning nailed-on starter. Plenty of Rangers players have had spells where you can see the improvement in their game, the confidence on the ball, the willingness to get about the pitch, maybe a better understanding of when to press and when to hold.

But being a first pick at Rangers is a higher bar. Its doing it week after week, handling the games where we dominate the ball, and also the ones where the midfield turns into a scrap. Its also about trust. Can the manager put you in the middle when the game is flat, the crowd is edgy, and we need someone to control the tempo?

Being wrong sometimes doesnt make you clueless

The bigger point here is the one a lot of fans forget. Difference of opinion does not equal lack of knowledge. Football is full of smart people getting calls wrong. Even elite managers have made decisions theyd probably change with the benefit of hindsight. That Mourinho example is a good reminder of it.

So if you think Souttar is squad depth rather than the best centre-half, or that Barron is on the way but not there yet, thats not heresy. Its just part of the chat. The standards at Rangers should be high enough that we can argue it out without trying to chase people out the room.

Written by Aphelion: 3 January 2026