For the most part Goldson was a leader on the pitch, pretty good on the ball, could hit some wonderful long passes and read the game pretty well. He was rarely injured and has been a great servant to the club.
On the flip side, there was always a mistake in him against better teams, often costly. His long passing could be inconsistent and he slowed up the game by taking too much time on the ball to pick out that pass and in so doing allowing teams to get their defensive shape together( or parked bus ). He was an aerial attacking threat but too often headed the ball upwards over the bar.So pluses and minuses and certainly the good outweighed the bad.
I like the look of Souttar. Maybe a little faster off the mark than Goldson, he also has the physical presence and command. He’s good in the air at both ends of the pitch, can hit a good long ball but also move it forward quickly with shorter balls when it’s on. In many respects he looks potentially an upgrade. The big doubt of course is his injury record. While Goldson’s has been remarkable ( compare with say, Helander) , Souttar’s has been poor.
If he can stay injury free, I would guess Souttar would represent an upgrade. A big if, alas. Time will tell.