Ibrox View: Stats show Defoe still has enough left in locker to contribute to Rangers title bid
Jermain Defoe has probably been one of the greatest success stories of Steven Gerrard’s tenure as Rangers manager.
Initially brought in on loan from Bournemouth before having his move made permanent earlier this season, the veteran hitman has now registered an impressive 25 goals in 52 outings for the Gers.
And it would appear that the appreciation he has garnered at Ibrox is mutual.
Defoe told Sky Sports recently that one of the biggest motivations he has to keep on playing at the grand old age of 37 is the thought of lifting a title with the Gers.
But bearing his age in mind, plus the fact that he has had to sit out a considerable part of this season through injury, can he still offer enough to help make that dream a reality?
You would be inclined to say yes.
In 2019/20, Defoe averaged 1.06 goals per 90 minutes, compared to just 0.46 in 2018/19, as per Wyscout.
His number of shots per game increased this year too, rising from 3.23 to 3.86.
In short, he is, if anything, getting more dangerous as he gets older.
A quick look at his shot maps illustrate that point too.
The image above was taken from Defoe’s 2018/19 campaign.
By no means is there anything wrong with it, although the ratio of chances to goals scored is hardly top tier.
By comparison, this season has seen a sharp spike in the number of goals Defoe is scoring from in and around the penalty area.
Granted, there are still a number of missed opportunities, but there are also a lot more chances being buried.
The great thing about Defoe is that he is a natural poacher too.
That means that he doesn’t have to rely too much on running himself into the ground, and can instead afford to wait for the chances to come to him.
Those shot maps show that he has mastered that art, and that fact that his xG has also gone up by 0.08 per game shows that it is working.
It would be too much to ask of him to be the Gers’ main source of goals at this stage in his career, but certainly, the stats show that he has enough in his locker to be a very useful weapon in any title charge Steven Gerrard’s men might mount next term.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox Exclusive: Bruce claims Foderingham will have grown ‘frustrated’ during Rangers stint.