Cup matches would usually present a staff with an opportunity to rotate their facet and provide probabilities to younger gamers however that was not the case for Glasgow Rangers on Saturday.
The Mild Blues, who lastly made their return to Ibrox after beginning the season at Hampden Park, confronted Dundee within the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
With a spot within the final 4 up for grabs, Philippe Clement couldn’t make wholesale adjustments or convey academy gamers into the fold for this conflict.
His determination to pick his strongest XI was backed up by the efficiency and end result as they swept the opposition apart with ease, successful 3-0 at Ibrox.
Cyriel Dessers discovered the again of the online twice for the Gers, both facet of a penalty from James Tavernier, and is now on seven targets in 9 appearances this season.
Connor Barron performed one other full 90 minutes in the course of the park for Rangers and at present appears to be like like an extremely shrewd signing in the course of the summer season switch window from Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen.
Connor Barron’s begin to life at Rangers
The Scotland U21 worldwide’s contract with Aberdeen expired on the finish of the 2023/24 marketing campaign and that allowed the Ibrox giants to swoop in and snap him up for a compensation price.
Rangers allowed Ryan Jack and John Lundstram to each transfer on as free brokers and that left a emptiness in midfield, which Barron has now expertly stuffed.
He has began eight of the membership’s 9 matches in all competitions to date, solely lacking out on the win over St Johnstone within the final spherical of the League Cup, and this exhibits that Clement already trusts him to play week-in-week-out.
24/25 Premiership | Connor Barron |
|---|---|
Appearances | 5 |
Move accuracy | 91% |
Tackles + interceptions per sport | 3.0 |
Ball recoveries per sport | 4.0 |
Floor duel success price | 45% |
Aerial duel success price | 31% |
As you possibly can see within the desk above, Barron has offered a chilled presence in possession along with his move completion price of 91%, which exhibits that he completes the overwhelming majority of his tried passes within the Scottish Premiership.
His seven tackles, interceptions, and recoveries mixed per match additionally present that he appears to be like to buzz across the pitch to win possession again for his facet, by breaking apart opposition assaults.
Nevertheless, the Scottish teenager has misplaced nearly all of his duels, on the deck and within the air, and this means that he nonetheless wants to enhance his physicality to compete in opposition to stronger opponents.
The previous Aberdeen star has been dribbled previous two occasions per sport on common within the Premiership to date this season, at the very least 0.5 occasions extra per match than any of his teammates, and is simply considered one of two gamers – alongside Oscar Cortes – to have been dribbled previous greater than as soon as per sport on common.
This means that Barron just isn’t totally suited to enjoying as a quantity six within the Rangers midfield and that he might have extra pleasure in a quantity eight position, as it will enable him to buzz in regards to the pitch with out worrying about any gaps left in the course of the pitch behind him if he’s dribbled previous.
In the meanwhile, the opposition can run on the Rangers backline by getting previous the Scottish gem as a result of the membership would not have a pure defensive, dependable, midfielder to anchor the staff.
This means that Clement might assist the summer season signing to thrive much more by bringing in a quantity six to sit down on the base of the midfield and permit the Scotland youth worldwide to push ahead and press excessive to win possession again.
On the age of twenty-two, there’s nonetheless loads of time for Barron to develop additional and enhance underneath Clement at Ibrox. Because of this he might develop in worth over time and emerge as a useful asset for the membership sooner or later, which is why he has been a improbable signing for the short-term and has the potential to be a terrific long-term addition.
Rangers might have already got their dream midfield anchor who might develop alongside the Gers quantity eight within the type of academy prospect Bailey Rice.
Why Bailey Rice is an thrilling prospect
Former Rangers supervisor Michael Beale described the teenage sensation as a “heck of a participant” and claimed that he was “prepared” for first-team soccer in September of final yr.
The 17-year-old has been on the bench on three events to date this season, in opposition to Dynamo Kyiv, St Johnstone, and Ross County, however is but to make his senior bow underneath Clement.
He performed twice underneath Beale within the Premiership in the course of the 2023/24 marketing campaign and made his first-team debut underneath the Englishman within the 2022/23 season.
The Scotland U19 worldwide is an out-and-out defensive midfielder who can sit on the base of the midfield and supply a stable and dependable presence, which might then enable Barron, and the likes of Nicolas Raskin and Mohammed Diomande, to push additional up the pitch.
Rice has already been capped 28 occasions by Scotland at youth stage, for the U16s, U17s, and U19s, and this exhibits that his nation view him as a promising younger participant.
His three appearances within the first-team for Rangers within the Premiership on the age of 17 additionally present that the membership consider that he has an enormous future at Ibrox, as they’ve regarded to get him expertise as rapidly as attainable.
The Scottish gem, who turns 18 subsequent month, has produced two targets and one help in 19 matches for Rangers B up to now and it stays to be seen what Clement’s long-term plans are for him.
Rice has been on the bench thrice underneath the Belgian to date this time period and this means that the teenager just isn’t 1,000,000 miles away from being in rivalry to characteristic in matches.
As a pure holding midfielder, he might emerge as a dream for Barron in the course of the park by enjoying because the six and liberating up his compatriot to push on and never apprehensive about what’s left behind him if he’s dribbled previous as Rice may very well be in the precise place to brush up.
It’s now right down to Clement to supply the teenage starlet with an opportunity to indicate off his expertise within the first-team, and for the midfielder to show that he has what it takes to play week-in-week-out at senior stage.
