Rangers: Barry Ferguson admits he was wrong about Ibrox ace Abdallah Sima
Barry Ferguson has been impressed by Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Abdallah Sima since joining Rangers in the summer but has admitted to not being convinced initially by the young star.
Following loan spells at Slavia Prague, Stoke City and Angers, the 22-year-old has finally found his feet, scoring 12 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions.
Ferguson was not initially persuaded by the loan move for the Gers but has completed a 180 on his decision, now comparing the young talent to a former Rangers star.
“Hands up, I must admit, I wasn’t convinced with Sima at the start of the season when he first came in on loan from Brighton,” he wrote in his Daily Record column on Friday (8 December).
“He looked like a player low on confidence and struggling to get to grips with the responsibility of being a Rangers player. But it’s a very different story now.
“I’d go as far as to say he reminds me of Peter Lovenkrands who also came to the club as a winger but who became a massive player for us when he was played through the middle. Like Sima, Lovenkrands had blistering pace and that terrified defenders.”
Incredible talent, for the time being
Lovenkrands was a major threat in front of goal, scoring 54 goals during his six-year stay at the club. To be compared to him should be an honour for a 22-year-old loanee.
Sima’s talent has seen many journalists and pundits calling for Rangers to work out a way to keep the Brighton loanee at Ibrox. But currently, the winger is only on loan until the end of the season.
The player has been an instant success with Rangers as their highest-scorer this season so far, scoring in Europe as well as in the Scottish Premiership.
It will be extremely difficult to persuade his parent club to leave permanently, especially with his performances since the summer. However, if Rangers are given the opportunity to grab his signature, there is no doubt that they need to take it.
The Gers have been starved of a star striker for several seasons, with Alfredo Morelos the last forward to net over 20 goals in a season during the 2019/20 campaign. The goalscoring pressure has mainly been down to right-back James Tavernier since, with the defender trusted with penalties and free-kicks.
Something needs to happen to disrupt the ongoing striker problem at Ibrox. With Philippe Clement using the forward as much as he can, whether that is on the wing or up front, Sima could be the solution.
In other Rangers news, Pundit backs Rangers to sign Sheringham-esque star after what he saw Clement do this week.