Anthony Onifade

Thu 19 October 2023 12:40, UK

Ridvan Yilmaz has endured a difficult period in his career at Rangers and is in danger of a brutal axe in January under new boss Philippe Clement should it continue these next two months.

The Belgian, former Monaco coach, was announced as the successor to Michael Beale on a deal until 2027 on Sunday (Sky Sports, 15 October).

Clement takes over a Rangers side who are already seven points adrift of rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table, meaning he already faces a tall order to wrest the title back to the blue half of Glasgow.

One of the Belgian’s major tasks at Ibrox is to get the majority of Beale’s summer signings who have so far struggled to impress, firing on all cylinders if the Gers are to match it with Celtic again.

However, players who endured tough spells under Beale’s management will also be given a clean slate too and that certainly includes Yilmaz who has largely been something of an afterthought at Ibrox.

Yilmaz joined from the Turkish club last summer in a deal worth around £3.5m, but due to his struggles with injuries in his debut campaign, he largely found himself behind Borna Barisic in the pecking order.

The 22-year-old left-back only managed just 13 appearances all season at Ibrox last season and his limited minutes has continued with just three appearances so far this campaign.

Yilmaz came close to leaving Rangers over the summer after several interest from clubs in his native Turkey.

Turkish-Football.com reported on (29 July), that the 22-year-old had rejected approaches from Besiktas and Fenerbache with the full-back intent on making a name for himself at Ibrox, but still, after over a year from his £5m move, he’s still struggling to convince the Rangers faithful.

The 2022/23 campaign will have represented a learning curve for him, one to take into his stride and come back a better player in the next season and his age profile, burgeoning potential and raw qualities he still possesses at Ibrox still makes him an attractive outlet for Clement to utilise in the coming weeks.

Considering his limited minutes on the pitch, he still managed two assists, registering 0.7 key passes, 0.7 dribbles and also managing 0.9 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game [WhoScored], meaning Clement has plenty to work with right now but Yilmaz simply has to cut out the inconsistencies that have remarkably hampered his progress at Ibrox.

The left-back position was a real cause for concern for Beale and ultimately cost him his job given Yilmaz’s ongoing struggles to impress and Borna Barisic’s uncertainty regarding his future now coupled with his own inconsistent performances.

Beale’s problem was not being ruthless enough to drag the best out of his players or even potentially show them the door should they fail to match his levels, especially players such as Yilmaz.

Given Clement’s no-nonsense and straight-talking approach, he may not be so forgiving and should Yilmaz’s struggles continue over these next two months, he could well be forced by the Belgian to empty his locker at Auchenhowie in January.

In other Rangers news, Simon Jordan has slammed the board after appointing Clement.