Rangers boss Philippe Clement has largely done a solid job at Ibrox

Philippe Clement must hook Borna Barisic at half-time, Rangers defender looks lost v Kilmarnock

Senior Correspondent AUTHORITY Senior football journalist specialising in refereeing and officiating; former contributor to The Football League Paper, Late Tackle, and the Premier League; University of Derby graduate. FOCUS Refereeing controversies, football finance and governance, PGMOL decisions, and officiating analysis across the Premier League, EFL, and SPFL. THE INSIGHT Harri utilises a network of officiating and industry contacts to deliver verified, expert analysis of refereeing decisions and PGMOL policy. He provides the regulatory clarity behind the controversy to ensure fans get the full picture.

Published on:

28 Feb 2024, 3:06 pm

With Celtic 6-0 up against Dundee at Parkhead, Rangers will be keen to overturn the 1-0 deficit against Kilmarnock in the second half.

Danny Armstrong converted a spot kick after 12 minutes, with referee David Dickinson awarding a penalty for a handball decision on John Lundstram, much to the frustration of the Gers.

Despite keeping the majority of possession, and threatening the Kilmarnock goal through Oscar Cortes, Mohamed Diomande and Ross McCausland, Philippe Clement's side has been unable to break through the opposition defence.

Borna Barisic nowhere near good enough for Rangers

Though Rangers are yet to score, Clement will be far more worried about the impact of Kilmarnock's attack, having caused several problems at Rugby Park.

Borna Barisic has been one of the weakest links in the Gers squad, playing a damning role before Killie opened the scoring, seemingly struggling to deal with Armstrong down the left flank.

A few of the full-back's passes have gone astray, meaning Rangers have been unable to build up their attacks as effectively as they have done in other matches, and Ridvan Yilmaz will surely be called upon.

In addition, Barisic was awarded a yellow card for another challenge on Armstrong and will be walking a tightrope as the Kilmarnock wingers continue to take full advantage.

If Clement chooses not to hook the Croatian at half-time, Rangers will run the risk of going down to 10 men, which would make a comeback win much harder for the away side.

Philippe Clement has overseen an excellent turnaround at Rangers.

Though the Belgian will have hoped to rest Yilmaz, with matches against Motherwell and Benfica coming up, the Turkish full-back offers a lot of threat going forward as well as possessing the ability to deal with tricky wingers.

It appears the Rangers manager has been left with no other choice. Another Kilmarnock goal could end any chance of the Gers claiming a 23rd Scottish Premiership victor of the season.

In other Rangers news, Chris Sutton has made a new Ibrox title admission in an “inconsistent” Celtic verdict

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