Ian Durrant gushes over Rangers ‘match-winner’ Tom Lawrence in new title race admission
Rangers midfield duo of Todd Cantwell and Tom Lawrence will be “key” to Philippe Clement’s side’s hopes of winning the Scottish Premiership this season, according to Ian Durrant.
The Light Blues currently sit three points behind Celtic with a game in hand on Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops and booked their place in the Scottish Cup fifth-round with a professional 2-0 win over Scott Brown’s Ayr United on Saturday (10 February).
Neither Cantwell nor Lawrence started that cup clash, but former Ibrox hero Durrant believes that the Welshman in particular will play an important role in the title race, labelling him a “match-winner” for the Gers.
As quoted by the Sunday Post (11 February, pages 11 and 12) he said: “I feel we are creating plenty of chances in the final third of the pitch. Todd Cantwell and Tom Lawrence are both key players in that area. They like to penetrate in the final third and create chances.
“They also like to shoot from outside the box and I like to see that. I don’t think there is enough of it in the modern game. I just hope Tom can get a run in the team and he stays away from the treatment table. He has been really unlucky with injuries and, as I well know from personal experience, it can get you down and demoralise you.
“I have a feeling he can play a really important role in the next three months. He is a match-winner. He is an intelligent football and he is skilful. He can pick a pass and wander into lovely areas, places where you can hurt the opposition.
“Todd is also like that. He really looks to be enjoying his football and he has contributed important goals in recent weeks. Long may it continue.”
Tom Lawrence is Philippe Clement’s title winner at Rangers
Rangers are well and truly in a title race and to boost their chances of being the side to lift the Premiership at the end of the season, the Light Blues need to keep their best players fit and available and that includes Lawrence.
The Welshman was rested as a precaution against Ayr as Clement looks to manage his players’ returns to avoid a similar injury crisis similar to the one experienced at the start of his tenure when a ridiculous amount of players were stuck on the treatment table.
Rangers look like a better side when Lawrence is playing and as Durrant suggested, he can unlock a defence and create something out of nothing to help the Light Blues get over the line in those crucial matches.
Hopefully, the 30-year-old can remain fit and available until the end of the season and prove to not only be match-winner at Ibrox but a title-winner as the race with Celtic looks set to run right down to the wire.
In other Rangers news, two BBC Sportscene pundits have been left stunned by Scott Brown’s claims surrounding Fabio Silva
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