Ally McCoist spots ‘excellent’ Sam Lammers moment for Rangers against Sparta Prague
Ally McCoist spotted an “excellent” moment from Sam Lammers during the Rangers win over Sparta Prague in the Europa League at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement’s side boosted their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages with an excellent 2-1 win on Thursday (9 November) with Danilo and Todd Cantwell both finding the net with excellent first-half strikes.
But it wasn’t just the goalscorer who stole the headlines, with McCoist impressed by the work of Lammers in the build-up to Cantwell’s strike as the Dutchman managed to create plenty of space for the Englishman with an unselfish run.
Speaking on TNT Sport (9 November, 8:21) he said: “Excellent run from Lammers, takes the defender Gomes inside, the ball comes to Cantwell, a lovely drop of the shoulder.
“That’s a tremendous ball, but the run from Lammers poses a problem and gives Cantwell the space. A very, very composed finish. Brilliant goal.”
Impacting the game
Lammers has come in for plenty of criticism for his slow start to life at Ibrox and while the Dutchman was still not one of the most influential players on Thursday, he showed just why Clement is keen to consistently pick him with his unselfish work off the ball.
His run to create space for Cantwell allowed Danilo to have a relatively easy pass to find Cantwell on the edge of the penalty area and the Englishman showed excellent composure to slot into the bottom corner with a brilliant left-footed effort.
But without the movement of Lammers, none of that would have been possible and while the 26-year-old won’t receive the plaudits for his work he is beginning to impact games in a manner that he didn’t under the management of Michael Beale.
He may not be popping up with a goal or assist every week, but the Dutchman is beginning to settle into life in Glasgow. If he can continue to build upon his recent outings he will continue to convince the Ibrox supporters that he was worth signing this summer.
In an attacking midfield trio alongside Cantwell and Abdallah Sima, Lammers has combined excellently to carry a constant threat. If they continue to combine this well they will be able to contend with both in the Europa League and domestically.
In other Rangers news, McCoist was similarly stunned by the “top-class” work of Danilo to grab his first-half goal