Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale suffered defeat for the first time since entering the dugout at Ibrox as his side lost in the League Cup final on Sunday.
The Scottish giants lost 2-1 to their bitter arch-rivals and were unable to secure the first trophy of the new era at the club, following the manager’s arrival during the break for the 2022 World Cup.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s double either side of half-time was enough to secure the win for Celtic, despite Alfredo Morelos pulling a goal back in the second half, and the Light Blues will now have to turn their attention to the Premiership and the Scottish Cup.
On a disappointing day for the Gers, one player who must be ruthlessly ditched from the team after his performance at Hampden Park is midfielder John Lundstram.
Should John Lundstram be dropped for Rangers?
The Englishman was an injury doubt heading into the game and did not look ready to be playing, as he left a lot to be desired with his display in the middle of the park.
Journalist Josh Bunting claimed that the former Sheffield United man “really struggled”, while reporter Mark McDougall stated that Celtic “dominated” the midfield as Lundstram looked “poor”.
Rangers Review’s Derek Clark was also scathing in his assessment of the 29-year-old’s performance, writing: “A poor performance from the Scouser who looked a yard off the pace and lost out in almost all his duels. He was often slow and cumbersome in possession.”
The £22k-per-week dynamo has enjoyed a strong season in the Premiership, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 25 matches, but the signing of Nicolas Raskin now means that there is competition for places, and even one bad outing could cost a player their place in the starting line-up.
This could be the case for Lundstram, as his dreadful display in the final should result in Beale ruthlessly dropping him from the starting XI for their upcoming match against Kilmarnock next weekend.
Raskin has made a strong start to life in Scotland, with an average Sofascore rating of 6.95 in his first two matches, winning 73% of his individual duels and completing 89% of his attempted passes.
The 22-year-old has shown that he can handle the physical contests of Scottish football and has demonstrated his quality in possession by being reliable with the ball at his feet.
Raskin’s early promise could tempt Beale into throwing him into the start for the clash against Kilmarnock, and after his woeful performance against Celtic, Lundstram is the midfielder who should duly be ditched from the team in order to free up a space in the starting XI.