Rangers to be thrilled with bittersweet night for Jose Cifuentes, could help save Michael Beale from sack
Rangers will likely be thrilled to see that Jose Cifuentes was snubbed by Ecuador in their victory over Uruguay on Tuesday (12 September).
It was a bittersweet night for the 24-year-old as he was an unused sub in his country’s 2-1 win in their qualifier for the World Cup in 2026.
But that will mean the midfielder will be fresh heading into the Gers’ game against St. Johnstone on Saturday (16 September) as Michael Beale probably needs to record a victory to keep his job at Ibrox.
It is no secret that Cifuentes hasn’t had the best start to life with Rangers after making the move from Los Angeles FC over the summer.
The midfielder is one of a number of new faces that arrived through the door at Ibrox after Beale looked to revamp his squad in a bid to challenge for trophies this season.
The Light Blues boss was desperate to sign him after he received rave reviews for his performances in the MLS after signing for a reported £2.3million fee in 2020.
He scored 15 goals and registered 20 assists during his time in the US, where he played a major role in helping the LA club lift the league title in 2022, having bagged seven goals and laying on eight assists.
It is that kind of creativity that led to the Gers spending £1.2million on the midfielder despite reportedly having a deal in place to sign him on a free at the end of the year following the expiration of his contract.
Even though he was named in Chris Sutton’s team of the week for his performance in the convincing 4-0 win over Livingston on 12 August in the second SPFL game of the season, he hasn’t really kicked on from that point.
That is the only league game the Ecuadorian has featured in this season after being an unused sub for the other three matches.
But rather oddly, he started in three of the four Champions League qualification ties, having played 90 minutes in the 5-1 defeat against PSV that saw Rangers exit the competition.
After struggling in his role on the right-hand side of midfield, he would probably be one of the first people to admit he wasn’t at his best that night in Eindhoven as he struggled to provide cover for James Tavernier at fullback.
The international break may have provided Cifuentes with a chance to reset and gain some of his confidence back after a tricky start in Glasgow.
He was named in the lineup for Ecuador’s 1-0 defeat to Argentina on Friday, with Lionel Messi scoring the only goal in what will no doubt still have been a good experience for the midfielder.
But despite likely being disappointed to have been an unused sub in the game against Uruguay on Tuesday, he will be fit and ready to go for Rangers at the weekend at McDiarmid Park.
There will be slightly less pressure for him to have an instant impact at Ibrox compared to some of the other new recruits following the dramatic change in standard and lifestyle his move from LA will have presented.
Cifuentes has, however, shown previously during his time in the MLS that he could be an excellent addition to the Gers squad and perhaps he could prove to be a key player as Beale fights to try and save his job over the coming weeks.
In other Rangers news, a journalist has revealed there has been a fallout of “epic proportions” behind the scenes at Ibrox.