Rangers have started the season in outstanding form this year and they finally look like a side capable of ending Celtic’s dominance in Scottish football.
The Ibrox outfit have picked up 41 points from 15 league games and they are 11 points clear of Celtic in the SPL table.
One of the main reasons why they have done so well in the league this year is their impressive defensive organisation. Steven Gerrard has managed to organise a water-tight back four which has conceded just three goals in 15 league games.
The likes of James Tavernier, Filip Helander and Borna Barisic have been quite impressive at the back but Connor Goldson has been the standout performer in defence for Rangers.
The 27-year-old Englishman has been ever-present for his side so far and he has played all 15 league games for them. Goldson had issues with his consistency last year but he has managed to iron out those deficiencies and he has been a colossus at the back this season.
Goldson averages 4.8 aerial duels won and 2.9 tackles per 90 minutes in the league. He has been useful on the other end of the pitch as well. The 27-year-old has two league goals and an assist to his name so far.
The Rangers star has not only helped his put together a well-drilled back four, but he is also contributing to their build-up play with a passing accuracy of 83.3% in the league. Goldson has been a disciplined presence for Rangers with just two bookings in the Scottish Premiership this year.
Earlier, Gerrard had problems with the aggression of his players. Too many players picked up frequent suspensions and the Ibrox outfit have managed to sort that out this year.
Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish claims that the Rangers defender could be worth around £50 million in future and he has urged the Scottish club to tie him down to a new deal as soon as possible.
McLeish said (h/t Daily Record): “It’s so important to get Goldson tied down to a new deal.
“As soon as you get him tied down to a new deal unless someone comes in with a £50m deal for him after he gets his contract signed, sealed and delivered – and sometimes that can happen – then you know Goldson is going to be at Ibrox for a while.
“He is in the form of his life and he’s only going to get better. When you’re experienced, that can get you through games where your level drops a bit.
“You don’t have to have 10/10s every single week – you’d like to but it’s impossible and when he does have a rough day his experience will mean he can paper over the cracks.
“Brighton had a lot of centre-backs and that was probably the reason why they let him go. The judgement was that he probably wasn’t going to be ready for the Premier League.
“But he is growing all the time and he could be one of these players who is a late developer.”
