‘Who You Can’t Trust’ – Ex-Scotland Star Lauds Rangers Player Amid Inconsistent Team-mate | OneFootball

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Peter Grant admits he has been impressed with Rangers new boy Olwethu Makhanya, but is concerned about his centre-back partner Emmanuel Fernandez, who he feels the South African cannot trust.

Rangers signed the South African from MLS side Philadelphia Union in July for a fee in the region of £3m, turning to him after they missed out to AC Milan on landing Sankhoun Diawara.

Makhanya has quickly managed to nail down a starting spot in the Rangers backline, being paired by Derek McInnes with Fernandez.

Together, they have helped the Glasgow giants maintain a good defensive shape, and the Gers have conceded only four goals in seven league matches.

Lauding the 22-year-old for his impressive defensive work, Grant insisted that the young defender’s positional awareness looks even more impressive because of the somewhat untrustworthy nature of his team-mate Fernandez.

“I can see Makhanya; he is always in the right position”, Grant said on the Go Radio Football Show (57.12).

“But then Fernandez wanders somewhere and Makhanya has got to adjust and that is very difficult when you have got a partner like that who you can’t trust.

“I am not saying he doesn’t trust him, but if I was playing along with him, I’d would be dragging him in, stay there, don’t do this or don’t give the ball away.

“Then he makes situations really difficult out of nothing.”

Grant also likes the way Makhanya steps out with the ball while showing composure and takes no risks when it comes to clearing his lines.

“What I really like with him when he gets into the corner or the ball has been down the channel, he gets there”, ex-Scotland man Grant explained.

“He just doesn’t kick the ball out for a throw-in. If he has got to do it, he tries to play back in or if he clears it, he gets in an area that is further up the field.

“He just doesn’t go and smash it into the crowd. ‘Oh, I have defended well’.

“I think he shows a lot of good composure when he steps out with it; he makes the right pass, doesn’t dribble by players come towards him.

“Passes it by them, which all good defenders do.”

Makhanya’s start to his Rangers career has already led to one former attacker insisting the Gers will bank a huge fee for him if his progress continues.

The Gers will though be hoping Makhanya can stick around to become a dependable rock in defence as McInnes looks to bring the glory days back to Ibrox in the coming seasons.