Tam McManus destroys Rangers ace Clinton Nsiala – ‘Terrible’
Tam McManus was far from impressed with Clinton Nsiala as Rangers shared the spoils with St Mirren on Saturday.
Gers took the lead twice in the game, only for the hosts to equalise, with the game at Paisley ending 2-2.
Cyriel Dessers and Nicolas Raskin were the goal scorers for the Ibrox outfit.
McManus slams Nsiala for ‘Terrible’ defending for both goals
McManus singled out the 21-year-old defender for the concession of both goals on Saturday.
For the first one, he believes that the French defender should have handled the long throw-in better than he did.
He also was not impressed with him playing the offside trap for the second one and in his view, it’s due to the former AC Milan defender that Rangers could not win all three points.
McManus told PLZ Soccer at 20:20: “I think if you look at the defending for the two goals, singling Nsiala out, the first goal is a long throw-in. He doesn’t go win the first header. It bounces and puts it in the net. Then the second one, he tries to play him offside and runs out and let’s the boy run behind him. It’s just terrible defending.”
Nsiala must improve and become more reliable next season for Rangers
McManus’s critique of Nsiala’s defending highlights critical areas where the 21-year-old must improve, though the broader context of Rangers’ turbulent season mitigates his struggles.
The centre-back’s failure to win the header from a long throw-in for St Mirren’s first goal and his poorly timed offside trap for the second demonstrate defensive lapses in positioning and decision-making.
These errors undoubtedly directly contributed to Rangers dropping points.
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
However, the Frenchman’s struggles are not entirely his fault, as Gers’ inconsistent season, marked by managerial uncertainty and a lack of cohesive structure, has left young players like him exposed.
The former Nantes defender, in his debut season, has been thrust into high-pressure situations without consistent guidance.
Under a stable manager like Daniel Farke next season, Nsiala’s potential, evident in his athleticism and ball-playing ability, could flourish with proper coaching and a defined system.
Learning from these mistakes is crucial and improving aerial duels and defensive awareness will be key.
Given time and support, Nsiala can develop into a reliable centre-back, but he must address these fundamental errors to succeed at Ibrox.