There’s a strange habit at Rangers of deciding a player “isn’t doing it” while also refusing to use him where he actually looks most dangerous. That’s where I’m at with Gassama. We’re not getting the best of him, and a lot of it comes back to being played out of position and on the wrong side.
For wide attackers, that stuff matters. It affects your angles, your first touch, the way you open your body, and whether your instinct is to drive to the byline or come inside and get a shot away. If you’re constantly being asked to do the version of the job that doesn’t suit you, you end up looking hesitant. Then the crowd gets on your back, and before you know it the player’s confidence is shot.
Left wing looks his natural home
The big thing with Gassama is how direct he is. He wants to take people on. And when he commits a full-back, he usually beats him. That’s not nothing in Scottish football, where teams sit deep and you need someone who can create a bit of chaos in a settled defence.
On the left, you can see why he’s so awkward to play against. He can run at you, shift it quickly, and get shots away with less fuss. On the right, it often feels like an extra touch, an extra second, and that’s enough for a full-back to set himself. It’s not about excuses, it’s just the reality of how wingers work.
Quality over “easy” goals still counts
There’s always a debate about goal types, as if a tap-in is somehow “less” of a goal. A goal is a goal, obviously. But it’s also fair to say certain players offer something different. Gassama, at his best, looks like the kind of winger who can pull a defence out of shape with one dribble, or produce a strike that changes a match when nothing else is happening.
That’s why it’s frustrating seeing him shunted about. If you keep him on his strongest side and let him build rhythm, you give him a chance to add numbers to his game. And once a winger starts believing again, everything sharpens up: the decision-making, the end product, the confidence to take the shot early.
Asset management matters at Rangers
The other point Rangers fans can’t ignore is value. If Gassama develops properly, he’s an asset. If he doesn’t get a fair run in his best role, we risk never seeing his top level at Ibrox and then watching him move on before it clicks. That’s the bit that stings.
And if we’re leaning heavily on a loan player in the same area, it’s hard not to wonder what the long-term plan is. Rangers need to get smarter at improving our own players and actually benefiting from it, rather than doing the hard yards for someone else.
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