Callum O'Connell

Thu 12 October 2023 18:10, UK

It has been an especially turbulent start to the season for Rangers, with their up-and-down form leading to Michael Beale being dismissed and the club sitting seven points off Celtic at the top of the table.

The season so far has been difficult, and several players have failed to impress the Ibrox crowd which has grown frustrated at the lack of a run of form this year.

A number of the new arrivals have failed to impress despite the large outlay of £13million in the summer, with two of the forwards, Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers still having plenty of room for improvement.

Ibrox News has rated each player with more than five appearances out of ten below…

Jack Butland – 9

Of the new signings to come in under Beale, Butland has received the most praise since his arrival, and rightly so. He has been excellent in between the sticks at Ibrox and rightly earned praise for stepping up when plenty of his teammates have faded into the background.

His average of two saves per game at a 76% ratio in the league shows how dependable he has been [Sofascore], and five clean sheets so far this season will be a number he looks to add to every week as one of the most consistent performers in the blue shirt.

James Tavernier – 6

The captain has been one of the more disappointing players so far this season, but there is also a feeling that the harsh judgement of his performances has been due to the high standard he has set in the past.

He’s scored three goals so far this year, with two against St Mirren last time out leading to Michael Stewart labelling his criticism as “lazy” and “harsh” live on BBC Sportscene, but there is no doubt he hasn’t quite reached his usual standard, as we detailed in depth here.

John Souttar – 5

It was a nightmare start to the season for Souttar, as his mistake in the opening game led to Kilmarnock’s winning goal, but he has since recovered his form with some solid performances.

By no means has he set the world alight, and after the 1-0 defeat to Celtic at Ibrox he has found himself on the bench for all but two of Rangers’ seven games in all competitions. The two he did feature in, however, saw his side keep a clean sheet against both Motherwell and St Mirren.

Connor Goldson – 6

Much like Souttar, Goldson has turned in some solid performances this season, and along with his goalkeeper has been one of the more impressive players at Ibrox so far.

He has been a mainstay in the team from the start and has seen his Sofascore rating fall below 7.3 just once in his last seven games, in a clear display of his impressive consistency. Averaging a pass success percentage of 87% is also an impressive feat as he looks to help his side build from the back.

Ben Davies – 6

Of Rangers’ three centre-backs to feature prominently this season, Davies has somewhat surprisingly stood out. After turning down a late move to Stoke in the summer, he has stepped up when called upon for the Scottish side.

Most of his football has come after replacing Souttar in the lineup post-Celtic, where he helped his defensive line to keep three straight clean sheets in the wake of the disappointment of that 1-0 defeat at home.

Dujon Sterling – 4

Sterling hasn’t featured anywhere near as much as he may have liked to since arriving in the summer. While he was always going to be a backup to Tavernier and Borna Barisic on either side of the defence, he has scarcely been called upon even despite their poor form.

Seven appearances so far this season, with just two of those coming from the start [WhoScored], show how he had failed to impress Beale before his eventual sacking.

Borna Barisic – 5

Barisic, much like Tavernier, has experienced a slow start to the season. His pre-season form was dreadful, and a shaky start led to calls to move him on at the earliest possibility, largely due to his contract ending at the end of this season.

Two assists in six league games is still an impressive ratio for a defender, but these have come from just one big chance created and three key passes, suggesting the strikers may have done the majority of the work [Sofascore].

Barisic’s 25% dribble success rate and 55% duel success rate are poor for a player in his position. He may simply be another victim of high standards, but he hasn’t been good enough this season.

John Lundstram – 7

So often, Lundstram is overlooked in this Rangers side. His work in midfield flies under the radar and the consistency of his displays is something to be marvelled at.

He’s not a game-changing player in terms of attacking product, but his work in midfield has constantly impressed so far this season, and he proves once again to be one of the most consistent players in this side.

Ryan Jack – 6

Much like his midfield partner Lundstram, Jack does plenty of work in midfield that goes unnoticed due to the inconsistency of players around him, particularly in attack. He has not been quite as impressive as Lundstram, but it’s been a solid enough season.

Todd Cantwell – 6

Cantwell was clearly one of Beale’s favourites at Ibrox. He looked like one of the only creative outlets under the former boss, with his trickery and close control often catching the eye.

His end product, without a single goal or assist in eight games before his recent injury, hasn’t been up to scratch which marks him down, but drawing 1.5 fouls, five ball-recoveries, and 73% passing accuracy in the opposition’s half (all per game) show what he brings to the team. [Sofascore]

Jose Cifuentes – 5

The Ecuadorian midfielder arrived in the summer with plenty of anticipation but was another of the new arrivals to struggle for a regular place in the team. His recent run of games has come as a result of injuries in midfield, and he has been solid.

However, given the expectations surrounding him and his role as a more creative option in the middle has made his solid performances feel like not quite enough as he has struggled to make his mark so far.

Rabbi Matondo – 6

Matondo is one of a few attackers who were expected to leave the club in the busy summer transfer window, but retained his place in the squad, and even became a starter when Beale was forced to change his style of play due to outside pressure.

The direct nature of his play, with two successful dribbles per game along with 1.4 fouls drawn and 1.6 shots per game shows his impact on the side before he suffered an unfortunate injury. [Sofascore]

Kieran Dowell – 4

An injury has impacted Dowell’s playing time since August, having not appeared since the 2-2 draw with PSV in the Champions League, but he enjoyed a solid start to the season despite the overall struggles of the team.

His one goal came in a substitute appearance against Livingston, and he made just one start despite the fairly impressive displays from the bench before his injury. A low rating is more down to his availability and game-time than his actual performances, which were always decent.

Nicolas Raskin – 6

Another of Beale’s favourites, Raskin has been one of the most consistently impressive performers at the club so far this season. A lack of end product, much like Cantwell, has seen him notch just one assist and no goals so far, but his displays have remained impressive.

Cyriel Dessers – 2

Dessers has been by far the worst of Beale’s summer signings. Having started seven league games so far, the Nigerian has mustered just one solitary goal and has missed chance after chance in the Rangers shirt.

His other two goals came in a League Cup win over Championship side Greenock Morton and a Champions League qualifier against Swiss side Servette.

Dessers’ six per cent shot conversion rate, six big chances missed, just 1.1 shots on target per game and only 9.1 accurate passes per game all add up to an overwhelmingly disastrous start to his Ibrox career. He desperately needs to improve. [Sofascore]

Sam Lammers – 3/10

Lammers hasn’t quite hit the lows of his fellow summer arrival Dessers, but he’s certainly hit some lows. He has one goal in eight league appearances this season and has missed two big chances, but has been playing in a deeper role than the one he prefers up top.

However, that cannot excuse a four per cent shot conversion rate and an average of just 60 minutes played per game before usually being dragged off after an ineffective display. [Sofascore]

Abdallah Sima – 8/10

Back to the higher scores again, the second-most successful summer arrival falling just behind Jack Butland is Abdallah Sima. The Senegal international has impressed, particularly in recent performances, by scoring seven goals so far this season.

His direct attacking play has caused issues for many defensive lines this season and has provided Rangers with an outlet to feed. His performance against St Mirren earned him particular praise live on BBC Sportscene.

Kemar Roofe – 6/10

Roofe has enjoyed an impressive start to the season, but alongside the majority of his teammates, has struggled for regular game time and consistency. He worked himself into Beale’s plans as his first-choice forward, but his one goal in ten games this season doesn’t make for pretty viewing.

In context, however, no big chances missed and an impressive shot conversion rate of 25% proves he has outperformed his attacking teammates.

Danilo – 5/10

The final member of this Rangers squad, and another summer transfer arrival at Ibrox, Danilo has faced a stop-start beginning to his career in Glasgow.

He has scored three goals for the club in ten appearances, but started just two of his five in the league, and often found himself playing in a wide supporting role for a strike partner when he was called upon before his injury.

There have certainly been impressive moments, but there is room to grow for Danilo, and he will be hoping to be called upon in a more familiar role by any new boss at Rangers.

In other Rangers news, one pundit was amazed by a recent behind-the-scenes call.