Findlay Curtis situation at Rangers compounded by Scotland exile | OneFootball

The Findlay Curtis situation is a bit of an odd one at Ibrox. Not due to his situation at Rangers, but due to his international call. As we know, new Scotland coach Sébastien Pocognoli called Curtis up for the senior Scotland Nations League camp alongside the rest of the group and, of course, club teammate Liam Kelly. There was naturally no sign of John Souttar, who we have covered earlier in our content today and who is frozen out of the game for the foreseeable future, it appears. The Findlay Curtis situation, however, has proved rather different.

Findlay Curtis situation raises questions

Curtis went to the camp with everyone else, but then found himself returning to the under 21s. He put in a pretty good shift and has shone at that level. The big question, of course, is whether Curtis reached his limits at Kilmarnock and whether youth level is where he needs to be for now.

Rangers fans got very excited by Curtis when he initially appeared on the Rangers scene over a year ago. He offered some exciting cameos and, in some less important matches, scored one or two good goals. He did not cause sensations among fans, but he was promising and supporters were eager to see more of him. Unfortunately, he was not quite making the grade at that point in time and was really only standing out in brief cameos.

Curtis impressed at Kilmarnock

It was deemed better that he move to Kilmarnock on loan to get minutes. That is the story, of course, that we were given, but it was a very strange choice of club given the pressure they were under to avoid relegation. Neil McCann was doing his utmost to try to ensure that happened. However, in truth, Curtis thrived there. He did very well indeed and became something of an icon for Rangers fans who were desperately eager to build the team around him come this season.

Derek McInnes has indeed used him, but unfortunately when Curtis starts in the Rangers shirt, he just does not impress. He impresses more as an impact substitute with energy, but as a starter, he just does not understand the game yet. He is a young player, just 20, but then players develop at different rates. Clearly Scotland’s coach made that call after seeing him in person and realised he would be better suited to the younger group.

Scotland call raises a question

The question is whether Pocognoli made the error in the first place by calling him up. After all, Curtis was already a senior Scotland international. Or was that instead a bad call by Steve Clarke to include him for the World Cup? The fact is that Findlay Curtis is a player with some talent, but as yet not the mental strength or fortitude to cope with the Rangers shirt or indeed the Scotland shirt. He has been given a little bit too much, too early, at a rate he was not ready for, and we do think that Scotland’s coach has made the right call here.

The fact that Curtis shines for the under 21s is a bit of a flaw as well. He is too good for that level, but he has not developed enough to step up to the seniors. It is a paradox. His best role, it appears, is continuing with the under 21s for now, even though he is too good for that level, while developing on Rangers’ bench and getting some minutes here and there to show his impact as a substitute.

Findlay Curtis needs development

Scotland’s coach got that one correct. We have seen what Curtis does from the start in most matches now, which is very little. As we have said before, the pressure at Kilmarnock is very different to the Scotland national team. And certainly to Rangers. The Findlay Curtis situation therefore needs careful handling at both club and international level.

With the right development and the right coaching, he could realise his potential. This is a delicate stage for Curtis. We hope that Derek McInnes is the right man to get the best from him. Can he become the player that it looks like he could be? Time will tell. We will see how this one unfolds.