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Rohl can move on from Curtis by unleashing Rangers teen who gets “bums off seats”
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl had the chance to look at some of the fringe players in his squad when his side played Annan Athletic in the SFA Cup on Friday night.
Second-choice centre-forward Bojan Miovski provided a reminder of his quality in front of goal with a hat-trick in the 5-0 win for the Gers, as he took his tally to eight for the season.
Central defender Clinton Nsiala also caught the eye, despite the low level of the opposition, with his impressive passing range, spraying several brilliant long passes in behind the Annan defence.
The second half saw a debut for defensive midfielder Tochi Chukwuani, who recently signed from Sturm Graz, as he replaced Joe Rothwell in the middle of the park.
Rohl will have to make some tough decisions on some of the players who featured in that game before the end of the January transfer window, and Findlay Curtis is one who should be moved on.
Why Rangers should send Findlay Curtis out on loan
The academy graduate has made 18 appearances in all competitions for the first team this season, per Transfermarkt, and he registered his first assist for Miovski’s second goal against Annan.
Curtis, who has scored three goals for the senior side, has only played 501 minutes in those 18 matches, usually coming off the bench, but he did play the full 90 minutes against Annan.
In the 5-0 win against the League Two outfit, the 19-year-old winger showed that there are still a lot of areas of his game that need to be developed, as some of his wing play left a lot to be desired, failing to take on his man or delivering a poor cross.
Curtis has shown promise in some of his first-team outings, such as when he scored against Panathinaikos in the clip above, but he does not look quite ready to be a regular, which is why he should be sent out on loan.
He was linked with a move to Kilmarnock on loan until the end of the season earlier this month, and that would be a good next step in his development to go and play regular football in the Scottish Premiership with a team lower down in the table.
The Light Blues may not have to make a new signing in order to sanction moving on from Curtis this month, though, as Rohl has another teenage starlet to call upon.
The Rangers teen who could replace Findlay Curtis
Instead of splashing out millions on a permanent deal or thousands in wages for a loan signing for a new winger, the German boss could bring another academy player into the squad on a regular basis.
Rohl handed 17-year-old winger Zebedee Lawson a debut off the bench against Annan on Friday night, and his little cameo was hugely encouraging.
The teenage wing wizard was given 29 minutes off the bench to impress. In that time, he produced several eye-catching moments, with two shots on target and some silky dribbling on the right flank, cutting in on his left foot.
Hibernian academy scout and Rangers supporter Iain Mitchell described Lawson as a “bums off seats type player” before the match, and he was proven to be correct as the forward burst past his marker on several occasions to get the fans excited.
The English attacker did not register a goal or an assist in his time on the pitch, but he looked far more comfortable with the ball at his feet in general play than Curtis did, with the way that he took players on and made good decisions fluidly, without hesitation, which was an issue for the Scottish forward at times.
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Rohl’s current wing options for Rangers |
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|---|---|
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Left wing |
Right wing |
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Djeidi Gassama |
Andreas Skov Olsen |
|
Mikey Moore |
Oliver Antman |
|
Rabbi Matondo |
Zebedee Lawson |
|
Nedim Bajrami |
Findlay Curtis |
|
Thelo Aasgaard |
Kieran Dowell |
As you can see in the table above, Rohl does have plenty of options on both flanks, even if some of those players are needed in central positions most of the time.
Bringing Lawson into that group would mean that the manager has him, Antman, and Skov Olsen as out-and-out right-wing options, allowing Dowell and Curtis to move on from the club this month.
The teenage ace, who scored three goals in 13 league games for Brighton’s U18s last season (Transfermarkt), is two years younger than Curtis and is not in desperate need of an immediate loan.
This means that it could make sense to ruthlessly send the Scottish winger out on loan, to Kilmarnock or any other potentially interested side, and to unleash Lawson as a fairly regular member of the squad in the second half of the season.
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His cameo against Annan was proof that he can handle himself in a first-team environment, as he looked even more confident than Curtis, but it is now down to Rohl to give him opportunities against tougher opposition.
