McCall must ditch his Rangers flops and bring in kids to earn full-time deal

After making a bright start and taking the lead through Haris Vuckic against Livingston at Ibrox on Saturday, they faded badly.

The Gers were lacking in confidence, fight and invention for long spells against the bottom-placed side in the SPFL Championship.

And they could have no complaints when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by opponents who had lost five games on the spin.

Yet, one of the Rangers players who did impress in McCall's first match in charge, possibly the only one, was young Tom Walsh.

The 18-year-old was lively, direct, and willing to commit himself physically against rivals who are battling desperately to avoid relegation.

The midfielder linked well with Lee Wallace on the left flank and caused Mark Burchill's charges no end of problems going forward.

Yes, his final ball into the box left a little to be desired at times. But to pick fault with him for that on his first-ever start for the Glasgow giants would be churlish.

Walsh outperformed far more experienced campaigners, senior internationalists in some cases, who receive far higher wages.

So what does the display of a kid who has spent the majority of the 2014/15 campaign on loan at Stenhousemuir tell the new man at the helm?

Well, it should underline to the former Bradford City and Motherwell manager the benefits of promoting youngsters to this Rangers team.

And it should also encourage him to put his faith in Walsh and his contemporaries as he attempts to do well enough to earn a full-time contract.

McCall faces what looks like a near-impossible task to steer the club he helped win nine Scottish titles in succession under Walter Smith in the 1990s back into the top flight this season.

The draw with Livingston, their fourth in a row, has left Rangers seven points adrift of second-placed Hibs in the second- tier table.

Sure, the League One champions still have two games in hand to play - including one against Alloa at Ibrox tomorrow evening.

There is, though, no guarantee they will win them given the utterly unconvincing way they are currently performing.

Indeed, it looks as if they will be lucky just to sneak a place in the play-offs ahead of Queen of the South and Falkirk teams on good runs. They have won just one of their last eight competitive outings and scored only six goals during that abject spell.

Rangers have also been dealt two further setbacks in their bid to reach the Premiership after both Seb Faure and Vuckic sustained injuries at the weekend.

Faure, brought in at right- back, injured a knee, while Vuckic, who once again impressed, suffered a calf knock. Both are expected to be unavailable for several weeks.

McCall should replace them with some of the talented kids emerging at Murray Park itching for the chance to show what they are capable of in the first team.

They will bring energy, hunger, pace and no little ability -qualities which have been sadly lacking, in some instances completely missing, in recent weeks - to the side. Ally McCoist had, despite the severe criticism he came in for towards the end of his four-year tenure, many strengths as a manager.

Leading Rangers through the lower leagues is a feat that should not be dismissed or underestimated.

But McCoist's reluctance to take a chance on young players contributed to his downfall this term and McCall would be well advised not to make the same mistake.

Sure, his predecessor plucked Lewis Macleod from obscurity and nurtured his talent wisely. Nevertheless, a reliance on seasoned veterans ultimately proved his and his side's undoing.

Restoring Andy Murdoch, who sat on the bench against Livingston, to the starting line-up against an Alloa side Rangers toiled against this season would be a positive start by McCall.

And why not give the lesser spotted Calum Gallagher a chance to show what he is capable of in the remaining league games this season?

Gallagher, who was recalled from a successful loan spell at Cowdenbeath in January, is fit again and netted for the Under-20 side last week.

The 20-year-old forward did superbly when he was given an extended run towards the end of last season. Crucially, he didn't look daunted by playing in front of a full house at Ibrox.

Not many of those in blue who took to the field in front of a crowd of 35,066 at the weekend can say the same.

And what about giving right-back Ryan Sinnamon, striker Ryan Hardie and others the opportunity to show what they can do?

McCall, who deserves credit for handing Walsh a chance, doesn't necessarily need to fill his side full of the most exciting prospects who are on the books at Auchenhowie.

But elevating a few to his side would certainly be beneficial. As the old cliché goes, a successful side has a blend of youth and experience.

Their exuberance could rub off on players who have, in many cases, been overplayed and ground down by the abuse of their own followers and those of other clubs.

Burchill claimed on Saturday that Scott Pittman, a 22-year-old he signed from East Region Super League club Bo'ness United last month, was "better than most of the Rangers players". The former Celtic striker wasn't exaggerating.

No disrespect to Pittman, but why should McCall persist with individuals who were outshone by someone who was playing Junior football earlier this year?

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