12% Dessers must be axed – Three things learned from Rangers v Sparta Prague
Rangers held out for a tough 0-0 draw away against Sparta Prague in the Europa League on 26 October, but will be happy with their second-half display despite a disappointing result.
The Glasgow side were lucky to go into half-time with a point and clean sheet intact after being dominated throughout the first 45, as they conceded 13 shots to their tally of just one.
In the second half, things improved drastically. Scott Wright had a goal disallowed for a foul, Danilo hit the crossbar and in the end, Rangers were unfortunate to have not taken the lead, and will be content with a point.
Here are three things we learned from the hard-fought 0-0 draw in Prague…
Cyriel Dessers cannot be relied upon as the main number nine
The Nigerian forward isn’t consistent enough as a goal threat to be the first-choice striker in a team that wants to challenge for consistent silverware. His goal against Hibs started talk of a resurgence, but that came crashing back down to earth tonight.
Dessers played 74 minutes as the centre-forward before he was changed for Danilo. In that time he failed to have a single shot, completed just five of 11 attempted passes, completed just one of three attempted dribbles and won one of eight attempted duels, a rate of 12%. His struggles were clear to see, and it felt all too familiar. [Sofascore]
Danilo’s substitution was a real moment of change for Rangers, with Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes commenting live on TNT Sports that Danilo was a big part of the visitors’ resurgence.
Rangers’ depth is their downfall
After a poor first-half display where several players have failed to get a hold of the game, you start looking to the bench for some inspiration, but the lack of quality strength in depth is clear and Clement’s options to make a change are limited.
Danilo did make a difference from the bench, as did Scott Wright, but outside of those two and maybe Ryan Jack, there are very few options that would improve the team. The bench was packed with inexperienced fringe players, not the sort you rely upon to change a tight game in Europe.
This is something that the board must address in January, as Clement will need a much stronger squad if he wants to get this side to a competitive level once again.
Clement will make a difference
The substitutions and tactical tweaks made by the new boss were clear to see and had a direct effect on how his team was performing. It felt a long way removed from the stale and lacklustre style under Michael Beale which he would throw out and hope something happened.
Journalist Calum Macdonald highlighted for BBC Scotland [19:07] that Clement was constantly feeding new information to his players and looking for an edge in the game which shows his attention to detail.
These minor tweaks and changes can often decide a tight game, and having a manager who is not afraid to change things when they’re not working will be a big step forward for this squad.
In other Rangers news, Clement will be fuming at a £5million waste.