Rangers winger Ryan Kent has been struggling with his form in recent weeks and he was once again not at the races in the 0-0 draw against Aberdeen at the weekend.
The 23-year-old is not the only player out of form, but after spending £7m on the Englishman in the summer, supporters on Twitter were expecting a lot more from him:
Guy gets away with murder , one of the most overated players I’ve seen .Time the rangers supporters opened their eyes .
— bg72 (@bg724) 1 February 2020
Been shocking since the winter break.
— Nacho Man ??? (@nachoman18721) 1 February 2020
Only turns up for big games
— David Blacklaw (@david_blacklaw) 1 February 2020
Never seen him have more than one decent game in a row
— JedBartlet (@Jed_Bartlet) 1 February 2020
Seems to be playing more central, or drifting in there rather than staying wide.
Been poor— Titch (@RickyShields81) 1 February 2020
Idk why people are against what you said, 7 million and he's touched the ball twice?
— lewis robertson (@lewisro45577212) 1 February 2020
Ryan needs to find his best position and stick to it this roaming all over the opposition half isn't good for him. Get on a player and run at him constantly, he'll do damage
— stuartycallan (@calzone71) 1 February 2020
Needs to cut out awe they step overs that come to nothing
— DOD GER (@DGer1690) 1 February 2020
Flatters to deceive most weeks, if we're being honest.
— Catankerous Dave (@FeedMeSeamore) 1 February 2020
Kent hasn’t contributed nearly enough in the final third. He has been playing narrower, and that has led to him being crowded out in the middle of the pitch. It may be the case that he is getting frustrated out on the left-wing and wants to get involved more on the ball.
Even so, manager Steven Gerrard has said he is happy with what the Gers midfielder is contributing at the moment:
“He’s already beaten last season’s tally for goals and assists by the end of January, so we’re very pleased with where his numbers are at. I’ll always strive for the best Ryan Kent, whether he’s in top form or indifferent form. He’s one of our best players.”
The Light Blues boss may well be protecting his summer signing from criticism with his comments, and if Rangers are to overhaul Celtic at the top of the table, Kent’s form will need to improve in the coming weeks.