Rangers player ratings v Sparta Prague: Abdallah Sima shines, James Tavernier disappoints
Rangers put an end to their wretched run of seven away European defeats as they secured a 0-0 draw against Sparta Prague on 26 October.
Philippe Clement’s first European game in charge was a pretty good one despite being on the road as the team showed incredible spirit right until the end.
Here are our player ratings for this one:
Jack Butland – 8
Made an outstanding double save in the first half and that set the tone for him for the rest of the game. Even though there were just four shots at his goal, his expertise was called upon and not every keeper would’ve kept them out of the net.
James Tavernier – 3
Struggled a great deal defensively down the right and that’s been the side of his game that’s been exploited time and again by quality opposition. His passing also let him down with an accuracy of under 70 per cent which is not a good return for a player known to be good with the ball at his feet.
John Souttar – 7
A backs to the wall job from the centre-back who made a remarkably high number of clearances throughout the game. He may not have been accurate with most of his long passes, but when things were kept tidy, he seemed to be in place for his side.
Connor Goldson – 5
Gave away a number of fouls that sometimes put his side in harm’s way. It’s uncharacteristic for someone that experienced to make some rash decisions but it’s a facet of his game he’s just not able to really get rid of.
Ben Davies – 7
Was surprisingly on a few corner duties and it must be said that he did better than most thought. He also made a few crucial interventions in the defensive third and there was plenty to write home about this performance from Davies.
Abdallah Sima – 8
Played in an awkward left-wing back positon and absolutely revelled under the pressure showing just what a phenomenal acquisition he’s been. Unlike Borna Barisic, who likes hugging the flank, Sima tucked in and often was an extra central midfielder. He won seven of his nine ground duels as well and he’s proving to be a valuable makeshift option there.
John Lundstram – 6
Put his side under immense pressure when he gave the ball away in the dying stages of stoppage time but made up for his mistake by regaining possession. Was good off the ball but he’s still making unnecessary calls with the ball at his feet with a lot of sideways and backwards passes.
Nicolas Raskin – 7
Improved a great deal in the second half and at times looked like the best Rangers player in the final 45 minutes. He appeared to know when to press and with what intensity and Clement’s certainly growing to be a huge fan of the midfielder.
Todd Cantwell – 6
Tried to make things happen and it can be argued that if the Lammers chance fell to him, he’d probably be finding the back of the net. However, he still does not seem fully match fit and Gers looked livelier in the final third since he was taken off by Clement.
Sam Lammers – 4
Handed the best chance of the game and it’s shocking to see him not finding the back of the net there. Most Rangers were baffled by his inclusion in the first place and were even more surprised to see him playing the entire 90 minutes. Clement’s got to axe him for the next game because this wasn’t Gers level at all.
Cyriel Dessers – 4
Did very little to justify his inclusion and it must be said that Danillo looked to be the striker that Rangers needed throughout the game. He struggled to get involved or make the right runs in order to tear open the defence. A lot of improvement is needed if he is to start regularly.
Subs
Scott Wright – 4
Danillo – 6
In other Rangers news, a BBC pundit has claimed that a Gers first-team player will jump at the chance to leave Ibrox as a transfer story has emerged recently.