‘So important’ – Exclusive: McLeish claims 23y/o is exactly what Rangers needed
We’re delighted to welcome former Rangers manager Alex McLeish as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Ibrox…
Alex McLeish has claimed that Cedric Itten is exactly what Rangers have been missing in recent years at Ibrox.
The Swiss forward made his first start in months against Kilmarnock last week and earned rave reviews from Steven Gerrard.
James Tavernier also praised the 23-year-old, who brought something different to the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe.
McLeish admitted that once Itten becomes more physical when holding the ball up, Rangers will have a real player on their hands in the final third.
Talking exclusively to Ibrox News, McLeish said: “A lot of people might not see those little fine details and it is so important for a striker to hold the ball up.”
“The only thing I think he could improve on is he’s got to jump a bit more. I think at times, he could be a bit more aggressive in the air, but that’s just a learning curve because he’s a big lad.
“They did need that presence, the presence of a footballer and we’ve seen taller footballers do really well in the Premier League – you’ve got Harry Kane. Itten, if he gets more aggressive in the air, he’ll bring it all together.”
Itten has only started twice for the Gers this season and managed to score twice in his cameo against Motherwell in September.
The 23-year-old had what many believed was his best game yet against Kilmarnock, making four progressive runs – he had only made one in his previous eight outings.
McLeish believes more aggression would help, and it would be interesting to see if he brings that to the table against Hamilton if selected.
In other Rangers news, Michael Beale rages at what he saw in Premier League clash