After a slow start to his Rangers career, John Lundstram soon became a huge fans’ favourite at Ibrox and the beating heart of the side that made it all the way to the Europa League Final with a memorable goal in Dortmund and the strike against RB Leipzig that sent them to Seville.
They even adopted a version of Belinda Carlisle's hit 1987 track 'Heaven is a Place On Earth' in tribute to their hero. But fast forward to McDiarmid Park on Sunday and for many livid Light Blue legions it’s the Scouser who sums up the regression in the Ibrox side. And one particular incident in Perth didn’t go down too well with fans. One supporter posted a clip of Lundstram overhitting the ball and losing possession as St Johnstone defender Adam Montgomery pounced to start the move which eventually led to the home side taking the lead through James Brown.
It wasn’t so much losing the ball in the first place which angered the fan, but also his lack of effort to make amends for the situation. He wrote: “This is the moment that led to St Johnstone’s first. Lundstram’s lack of effort to retrieve the ball after his bad touch is as baffling as it is unforgivable. He doesn’t even try to retain possession here. And then completely chucks it when he loses possession. And that’s a senior player, someone who is supposed to be leading us on the park.”
Others agreed with one saying: “Would get away with that in a 5s game” and another added: “I hope that’s shown to him and the rest of the players. They all need to know that is so far below the standards we expect at this club.”
Record Sport chief sports writer Keith Jackson also highlighted the incident in his own column, writing: “Suffice to say, John Lundstram is not even the best in Perth these days and the Scouser may be wondering where exactly all his old mates have disappeared to. Having lost the ball so carelessly in the build up to James Brown’s blockbuster of an opener yesterday, Lundstram spent the rest of the match tearing around the pitch in search of redemption. But what he really needed was a little more help from some of those more experienced campaigners who are prepared to share the weight of responsibility in a crisis.”
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