Scottish League Cup final presents perfect opportunity for Abdallah Sima to solve Rangers issues
Abdallah Sima took his goal tally for the season up to 12 as he fired home the only goal in Rangers’ 1-0 victory over Hearts on Wednesday 6 December.
With right-back James Tavernier the closest to the attacker in terms of goals scored, deploying the 22-year-old loanee as a centre-forward could pose a solution to Philippe Clement’s striker worries.
The Scottish League Cup final presents Clement with the perfect opportunity to test out the hypothesis. Contests with Aberdeen are usually decided by a single goal, and placing Rangers’ biggest goal threat furthest up the pitch makes sense.
Danilo, who joined from Feyenoord in the summer, has been underperforming in front of goal, with his four league goals below his xG of 5.49. [FotMob]. He showed everyone just how wasteful he can be with four decent opportunities squandered against Hearts, with Sima coming to the rescue.
In addition to Danilo, Cyriel Dessers has been disappointing since his transfer from Cremonense, scoring six goals in 23 appearances, and has since lost his spot in Clement’s starting XI.
With Kemar Roofe unable to stay fit enough for long periods at a time, Clement has been left with one solution that could suit all parties – playing Sima as a striker.
Pundit and former footballer Neil McCann believes that Sima could be the perfect answer to Rangers’ future striker crisis as goals elsewhere continue to dry up.
“He’s got pace and threat in behind which terrifies defenders,” he said on the BBC’s Sportscene on Wednesday (6 December). “He can actually have a bit of composure about him as well.
“He is actually a player I think has the presence to play as a centre forward.
“We have seen Danilo missing a number of chances, talked about Dessers out of form, Roofe can’t really stay fit. I think this guy can play through the middle and allow maybe someone else to go to a wider position.”
The position is not unfamiliar to the Brighton & Hove Albion loanee, having already deputized as a centre-forward and scored in the 2-2 draw against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifying. It suits him.
As a goalscoring winger cutting in from the left onto his favoured right foot, you may expect some of his goals to be scored from outside the box. However, Sima has only managed that feat once.
Eight of the Senegalese’s goals this season have been netted from inside the penalty area, with three of those being poked home from inside the six-yard area. Sima is the perfect poacher for Clement’s side.
And with just one assist in 26 matches, his talent seems a little wasted out on the touchline.
In other Rangers news, a journalist has detailed the Gers’ plans for the January transfer window.