Souttar’s time at Ibrox has been painted in simple strokes by some — signed to replace Goldson, judged harshly when results didn’t neatly follow. The reality feels messier. He arrived as cover, picked up an ankle problem that cost him most of his first season, returned for the final 13 matches and featured heavily the following campaign, mainly at left-centre-back. That pattern says more about squad needs and management choices than about one player’s worth.
Versatility over vanity
To be fair, managers routinely play the best available solution. When Goldson occupied the right side, Souttar was often asked to slot in on the left. It’s not glamorous. It’s not the natural preference of every centre-half. But it’s pragmatic. Playing regularly in an unfamiliar role to help the team isn’t flattering, yet it’s valuable. Plenty of alternatives existed, yes, but managers kept turning to him — which suggests trust in his reliability and temperament.
Injury context matters
People bang on about fitness as if an ankle problem equals unreliability forever. That isn’t how it played out here. He missed much of the early period, came back for the closing run and then went on to play extensively the next season. Those are the facts; critics who ignore them are missing half the story. You can judge whether he was spectacularly good or not, but you shouldn’t pretend he never contributed because of a single injury spell.
Club or personnel?
It’s tempting to pin blame on managers when things go wrong. Excluding Beale and setting aside Martin, a fair point is that many who have managed at Rangers had prior and subsequent success elsewhere. That raises the uncomfortable thought: maybe the problem isn’t solely the individual in the dugout. The club’s environment, expectations and structure will have a huge say in how tactics, selection and player development actually work.
Ultimately, calling Souttar fortunate misses the nuance. He was signed as cover, asked to fill gaps, and played plenty of games — often out of position and after injury. Give the man credit for stepping up, and don’t make him the shorthand for everything that went wrong in a complicated period.
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