Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin would have been the most relieved man in the ground when Max Aarons scored the winner in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

The Ibrox side avoided a sixth game without a win to start the top-flight season thanks to the substitute’s last-gasp strike from Nicolas Raskin’s corner.

It was far from a perfect performance from Rangers, hence why they needed a stoppage-time winner, but there were some positives to take from the match.

Connor Barron’s emergence in the middle of the park was one of those positives, as the Scotland international showed that he is ready to stand up and fight for a place in the team.

How Connor Barron made himself undroppable against Livingston

At least for the time being, the former Aberdeen star has made himself undroppable in the Premiership because of his workman-like display against Livingston on Sunday.

Barron’s constant pressing and harrying of the opposition made life difficult for the hosts and helped the Gers to gain control of the game, particularly in the first half.

The young ace made six ball recoveries, without getting dribbled past once, and played six passes into the final third, per FotMob, which shows that he worked hard to win the ball back and was progressive in his passing.

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This is why Barron is currently undroppable, as his work rate, defending, and progressive passing have made him a valuable member of the side. It is also why he is currently an even better option than a star who was once compared to Zinedine Zidane.

The Rangers star who is even worse than Connor Barron

Mohamed Diomande was an unused substitute in the 2-1 win over Livingston just days after he was sent off in the 1-0 loss to Genk in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday night.

The Ivorian midfielder’s form has dropped off in the 2025/26 campaign, just months after being compared to Zidane by Turkish legend and TV pundit Nihat after the 3-1 win against Fenerbahce in the Europa League in March.

After an assist and five out of eight ground duels won for the midfielder, per Sofascore, Nihat said: “Mohamed Diomande was brilliant – like the best of Zinedine Zidane – thank God they substituted him.”

Diomande, who was linked with a move to Besiktas in the summer, has been unable to carry his impressive from last season over to the current campaign, as he has been outperformed by Barron in the Premiership.

Appearances

4

5

Sofascore rating

6.73

6.38

Tackles per game

1.8

1.4

Clearances per game

1.0

0.2

Duels won per game

3.8

3.4

Ground duel success rate

52%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

40%

17%

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish midfielder has been far more strong and reliable to the team in the middle of the park in comparison to the left-footed ace.

On top of his struggles in the Premiership, Diomande was, as aforementioned, shown a red card against Genk and will be unable to bounce back in Europe against Sturm Graz on Thursday.

The Light Blues and Martin need the Ivorian star to get back to being like Real Madrid legend Zidane again, because he is currently underperforming and finds himself behind Barron, who has been an unusued substitute on six occasions this season, in the pecking order.

Hopefully, the red card against Genk will provide Diomande with a bit of time to recharge and come back into the team with a point to prove, starting with the game against Falkirk on Sunday.