John Souttar wants Rangers end of season judgement but results threaten early backlash

In the aftermath of Sunday’s disappointing Old Firm draw with Celtic, Rangers defender John Souttar has asked for judgement to be reserved for the end of the season. 

His call for some patience from the fans was caveated with an understanding of the frustration that emanated from the Ibrox stands on Sunday as the mood turned from delirium to despair. 

There were shades of Jurgen Klopp’s heavy metal football in the first half as the German’s compatriot, Danny Rohl, witnessed his team dominate the early stages of the crucial SPFL Premiership encounter. 

A blockbuster Youssef Chermiti double had Rangers 2-0 in the lead by the 26-minute mark, but the hosts failed to put the game to bed, and ultimately, paid the price. 

A third goal did not materialise before the break, giving Martin O’Neill the chance to shuffle his pack at half-time. 

He made three changes, including two substitutions, with the incoming Reo Hatate changing the game, and Rohl’s Rangers simply couldn’t react to the change in momentum. 

As much as Rangers were excellent in the first half, they looked tired and exposed in the second half of the mammoth Old Firm clash.

Celtic will be disappointed that the equaliser did not arrive until added on time, with Hatate helping himself to a second rebound after Jack Butland saved his penalty and the initial follow-up.  

John Souttar makes Rangers end of season judgement call 

After the 2-2 draw, Scotland international John Souttar accepted that the Rangers squad’s mentality is under scrutiny.

“Yeah, of course that’s going to be the question, said Souttar, in response to a perceived mentality problem.

“And what I can say is, we need to be judged at the end of the season because just now there’s nine games left and if I was a fan looking just now, I’d be asking the same questions, it’s natural. But for me, we’ve got to be really clean the next nine games.

Souttar continued, “We’ve got to stand up and we’ve got to win and we can’t afford slip ups and obviously Hearts are six points (ahead) so it’s up to them and we’ve got to hope they drop points and we’ve got to win every game. 

“But I’d say ask us at the end of the season and judge us then.”

Rangers results threaten early backlash from the fans 

The 2-2 draw with Celtic was the Gers’ fourth stalemate in the last six SPFL Premiership games. 

After the loss to Hearts at Tynecastle in December, the first league defeat under Rohl, Rangers won the next six in a row. 

Shoots of title-winning form bloomed as the former Sheffield Wednesday boss found a way to drag his team forward. 

Since those six consecutive league wins, Rangers have won just twice, with the four draws casting a shadow on the title aspirations. 

The early February draw away to Motherwell was galling, with the hosts’ equaliser coming in the final minutes, but the costly 2-2 draw with basement side Livingston exposed the fault lines. 

In West Lothian, Rangers went 2-0 down before the hour mark, not replying until 81 minutes. 

It was 2-2 on 88 minutes, but despite nine minutes of added on time and the Mikey Moore foul debacle, they couldn’t find the winner. 

Then Celtic were there for the taking, with Rangers firmly in control at 2-0. They couldn’t see it through, and another three points evaded Rohl’s men.

Quite simply, that is not what champions do, and unless the current run of form is arrested, John Souttar won’t get his end-of-season judgment.

If Rangers don’t get back to winning ways immediately, the season will be completely derailed by the time the league split comes around, and the verdict will be delivered from the stands.

Next up is Celtic in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox on Sunday, an instant opportunity for redemption that also carries massive jeopardy. 

Judgement is coming, sooner or later.