Sports
Rangers flop who’s “been a ghost” for months must not start for Rohl again
Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl must surely be looking forward to the January transfer window after his side were beaten 2-1 by Ferencvaros on Thursday night.
The Light Blues boss arrived after the summer transfer window, led by Russell Martin and Kevin Thelwell, which means that he has not had a chance to bring in any of his own players.
Rangers made 12 signings in the summer, though, and that means that they may have to part ways with a few players to make room for new signings to come through the door at Ibrox.
Players who could leave Rangers in January
Clinton Nsiala and Rabbi Matondo could be candidates to move on because they are the only two senior outfield players who have yet to play a single minute in any competition, per Transfermarkt.
If they want to play regular football in the second half of the campaign, Nsiala and Matondo may need to force their way out of Ibrox, on loan or permanently, next month.
Kieran Dowell, meanwhile, played six games under Russell Martin at the start of the season and has now been linked with a loan move to Hull, which could see him see out the rest of his Rangers contract down south.
Another player who has been linked with a move away from Ibrox in January is Djeidi Gassama. He is a reported target for Spanish side Villarreal, who are said to be ‘exploring’ the possibility of a deal for the winger next month.
Villarreal’s interest in signing the Frenchman presents the Light Blues with an intriguing dilemma ahead of the January transfer window, as they may have a big decision to make.
Why Rangers should sell Djeidi Gassama
Rangers signed the 22-year-old attacker from Sheffield Wednesday for a fee of £2.2m in the summer, and they should ruthlessly cash in on him if the Spanish team are willing to offer a decent profit on that.
The Frenchman’s performances for the Gers this season have been inconsistent, at best, and his recent displays on the pitch suggest that he should be dropped from the team.
Rangers have four more Scottish Premiership matches before the January window opens and he should not start another match for Rohl before being sold to Villarreal in January, as he has not done enough to warrant a starting berth.
|
Gassama |
Premiership |
Europa League |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
15 |
6 |
|
Starts |
13 |
6 |
|
Goals |
1 |
1 |
|
Minutes per goal |
1,171 |
480 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.9 |
0.7 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
0 |
As you can see in the table above, Gassama has only produced two goals in 21 appearances in the Premiership and the Europa League, despite starting almost every game, which shows that he has not been reliable in front of goal.
His dismal form in the final third in those competitions came as a bit of a surprise after he started his career at Ibrox with four goals in six matches in the Champions League qualifiers.
The 23-year-old attacker has been unable to live up to the hype that his early burst of goals created, with just two goals in all competitions since the end of the Champions League qualifiers.
Rangers Journal creator Kai Watson said that Gassama has “been a ghost” since those early weeks of the season, and it is hard to argue with that assessment when you consider his form in the Premiership and the Europa League.
Meanwhile, Mikey Moore, who has scored two goals in his last three appearances, and Findlay Curtis, who created a ‘big chance’ off the bench against Ferencvaros (Sofascore), are waiting in the wings to take his place on the left flank.
As Rangers have two other viable left-sided options, in Moore and Curtis, Rohl can afford to take Gassama out of the starting line-up for the next four matches, using him as an impact substitute instead.
This would then give the other two players a chance to prove that they have what it takes to hold down that position moving forward, allowing Rangers to ruthlessly cash in on Gassama if Villarreal come knocking in January.
Selling the French ‘ghost’ could also provide Rohl with funds to bring in his own players in other positions, depending on how much the Spaniards are willing to pay for his services.
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Rangers have been tipped to sign an attacking midfielder who would be a big upgrade on Thelo Aasgaard.
Therefore, placing Gassama on the bench for the next few weeks before selling him in January could be a move that is in the club’s best interests, if Villarreal’s interest is serious.
