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Daily Record
Sport
Robbie Copeland

Jon McLaughlin 'set up' for Rangers failure by Michael Beale as pundit reveals sympathy for under fire keeper

Jon McLaughlin has been set up to fail by Michael Beale, according to pundit Richard Foster.

Beale has chopped and changed his keepers since returning to Rangers as manager with McLaughlin starting four and Allan McGregor starting five of his league games in charge. It was McLaughlin given the nod to face Ross County at the weekend after McGregor had started the previous three, and he was at fault for Jordan White's second-half equaliser, making a mess of a cross ball to leave the striker with an open goal.

After restoring McLaughlin to the team to face Dundee United last month, Beale said it was down to his strength at dealing with balls coming into the box, but he didn't show that against County and fans have been asking why Beale keeps changing his mind over his number one. And Foster echoed those sentiments as he spoke about the goalkeeping situation at Ibrox.

On the error against County, he told PLZ: "He misjudges the flight of the ball, he comes out to punch it, gets it all wrong, and Jordan White nips in in front of him to head it into an empty net. We saw he did the same against Kilmarnock before.

"This off the back of Michael Beale saying he played him in one of the games because he's better at coming for crosses. So it's almost as if he's setting the keeper up to fail.

"I don't know any goalkeeper that would like not knowing if they're playing every week. If you're the number one goalkeeper, then you're the number one and unless you are injured, making mistakes, or getting rotated for a cup game maybe, typically you start every game.

"We heard him say Allan McGregor was needing a rest but I don't think that will wash. I've played with Allan and I don't see him being happy at this constant rotation.

"This is the way Michael Beale sees it going and who am I to question him? He hasn't lost a game since he came in. But it puts a lot of pressure on the goalkeeper going in knowing he has to have a good game, because otherwise he'll be dropped."

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