Tam McManus warning to Rangers boss Philippe Clement on Todd Cantwell: He could end up losing him completely
Philippe Clement could end up losing Todd Cantwell completely if he does not start him in Rangers’ Scottish Premiership clash with St Mirren, Tam McManus has warned.
Cantwell was hooked after just 36 minutes of the Gers’ Europa League clash against Aris Limassol on Thursday, a match in which they drew 1-1 at Ibrox.
It remains to be seen if Cantwell gets the nod when St Mirren travel to Glasgow on Sunday (December 3) but McManus – speaking on the PLZ Soccer Show on Friday (1 December) thinks he will lose the player’s support if he does not – even if he does not really rate him as a player.
“I’m interested to see the Rangers team at the weekend, I wonder if he’ll start Cantwell. If I’m a manager I would play Cantwell, I think he’ll get a reaction out of him,” McManus said.
“I think you’re in danger of losing the player if he’s on the bench again. I would start Cantwell, I would start him as a 10.
“I don’t think it’s anything personal there’s just something from my point of view of being an ex player I look at him and go ‘I don’t think he fancies him as a player’, I don’t know what he’s like on the training ground Cantwell he might be a good lad but I just don’t think he’s his type of player and I think if he drops him and does not start him against St Mirren you might end up losing him completely.
“I’d start Cantwell in the 10 because he’ll smarting from getting hooked and I would put him in I think you get a performance out of him.”
Big call
It was interesting that Cantwell of all players was the sacrificial lamb from an underwhelming start to the fixture against Aris Limassol and what Clement decides to do next will tell us a lot about the playmaker’s future at the club.
Being truthful, not many Gers players have performed consistently well this term and Cantwell can probably consider himself a touch unlucky to be the scapegoat, especially with Lammers just having not done the business at all.
We might get to Sunday, Cantwell might start, he might impress, and all of a sudden this episode is quickly forgotten. Then again, Clement is known to be ruthless and it might be that his card is already marked and his future at Rangers might already have been decided.
It will certainly be interesting to see the teamsheet around 2pm on Sunday. One thing is for sure, if Cantwell does keep the shirt he will absolutely chomping at the bit to make an impression and show his quality.
In other Rangers news, Lammers has been tipped to quit Ibrox in January.