Start him today: McInnes can bench Kim by unleashing the new Ryan Kent for Rangers – opinion

Rangers have spent big on Kim Min-su, and he has done enough to show he is a talent. But Derek McInnes shouldn’t let the size of the fee decide his team selection. If the new Ryan Kent is ready, he should start today, and Kim should make way.

Kim impressed on his debut at Pittodrie, giving Rangers some much-needed creativity in the final third. That was a promising first step, and nobody should write off a 20-year-old who cost a reported £8.5 million. But a good debut is not the same as being the answer every week. Rangers need wide players who make defenders uncomfortable, and who play with the directness and fearlessness that made Kent such a handful at his best. (scotsman) (scotsman)

That is the case for the new Ryan Kent. He should be a player who runs at full-backs and attacks the half-spaces, and who doesn’t mind being the one who gets things moving when the game goes flat. Ibrox has seen too many afternoons where a low block frustrated Rangers, and the answer has to be more urgency from the flanks. Kent was never the most polished winger, but he made things happen, and the fans loved him for it.

McInnes is a pragmatic manager, and pragmatism sometimes means admitting that a big-money signing needs more time. Benching Kim for a game is not a punishment. It is a way to keep him fresh and let him learn the league from the sidelines, then bring him back as a weapon rather than a fixture. His time will come.

Rotation is also how a rebuilding squad earns trust. If McInnes shows he will pick the player in form over the one with the reputation, everyone in the dressing room will notice. So give the new Kent the shirt today, let him run at people, and see how the Ibrox crowd responds. I expect it will be loud.