Danny Rohl must ignore misleading Nedim Bajrami stats vs Livingston, he has to start for Rangers
Nedim Bajrami looked much-improved for Rangers against Livingston on Saturday.
Rangers secured a 2-1 win over Livingston at Ibrox after Mohamed Diomande netted a winner to secure a controversial three points.
Things could have been different if Emmanuel Fernandez had given a penalty away to Livingston for a bizarre handball.
Neil McCann was baffled after Fernandez evaded punishment in what could have been a game-changing moment for Livi.
The Gers arguably deserved the three points in the end, with Danny Rohl having Bajrami to thank for his impact as a substitute.
Nedim Bajrami passed eye test vs Livingston
Rangers fans may have booed against Livingston, but they will have been grateful to pick up a victory against David Martindale’s side.
The Govan club had the better of possession and more chances, but the away side arguably had the better opportunities to score on the day.
Tete Yengi had a one-on-one saved by Jack Butland before the Light Blues ultimately went on to take all three points.
A turning point in the clash came as Bajrami came on and put in a positive showcase, despite how the stats reflect his performance in G51.
The Albania international featured across just 26 minutes but was able to get on the ball with 17 touches and complete six passes into the final third.
His showing is let down by a lack of strikes on goal or chances created, as the attacker racked up an expected assist tally of just 0.01.
The 26-year-old also failed to provide a single defensive contribution, but that was due to the attacking nature of the Gers’ performance.
Bajrami actually came on and helped the home side eventually get their equaliser, despite what the statistics suggest.
Bajrami should replace Thelo Aasgaard for Rangers
The man signed from Sassuolo is seen as a flop despite contributing to nine goals in his first campaign with the Bears.
It feels as if Aasgaard would do well to reach that tally at this early stage of his debut season in blue, summing up the problem with the Norway international.
The 23-year-old started against Livingston, but had very little impact before being hooked at half time by Rohl.
This was the right call on the day and ultimately helped the Gers to victory, considering he failed to get a single shot away and collected the same expected assists as Bajrami despite playing 20 minutes more.
The Albanian may have passed the eye test, but Aasgard certainly didn’t, and it feels as if it is time for the 2024 summer signing to get a regular run in the first team under the new management.
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