Chris Powell wowed by Djeidi Gassama news as Rangers career could get belated lift-off
Djeidi Gassama has been heavily backed by former coach Chris Powell after failing to live up to expectations in Govan.
Gassama joined the Bears for £2.2million from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer transfer window after two promising seasons in the Championship.
Powell worked with the wide man at Sheffield Wednesday when current Rangers boss Danny Rohl was their manager.
The 22-year-old has struggled for large parts of this season, and although he has showcased some moments of brilliance, Rohl doesn’t value him as a guaranteed starter, despite their prior history in England.
However, the former Sheffield Wednesday coach was thrilled with the news that Gassama had joined Rangers in July, and backed him to become successful in Govan.
Chris Powell backs Djeidi Gassama to succeed at Rangers
His potential is there for everyone to see, and it’s no shock that he was targeted in the winter transfer window.
Club Brugge, Villarreal and Monaco showed interest in the Frenchman, and although the latter made a bid of £10m, the Bears were adamant that he wasn’t for sale.
While it shows how much Rohl believes in him, he doesn’t trust him enough to consistently start for the Ibrox outfit.
In an interview with the Daily Record, Powell said: “I love Gas. He’s a superb talent. When he initially joined Rangers, I thought, wow, what a big move that will be for him.
“They love their number 9’s but also their wide players. Throughout the turmoil at the start of the season, Gas shone a bit.
| Stat | Gassama |
| Appearances | 28 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Pass accuracy | 77.7% |
| Dribble success | 54.7% |
“He was their leading light and scored some good goals in Europe. That put a lot of pressure on him, but he’s still a young player.
“Rohl will manage Gas properly. He’ll use him in certain games and take him out for others. Sometimes, if he feels they need a spark, Gas will be the one.”
The stats, via Sofascore, show that while he is a tricky winger with an abundance of talent, he ultimately hasn’t impacted games enough.
There is still a lot of time for him to improve, but it’s clear that despite the backing of Powell, Rohl is still yet to be convinced.
- Read more: Djeidi Gassama to pay the price in two Danny Rohl changes – Rangers predicted XI vs Celtic
Here’s what Gassama needs to do to improve at Rangers
Ultimately, he needs to focus on his end product.
We saw a glimpse of this against Hearts when he ran the length of the pitch before calmly playing the ball to Youssef Chermiti, who made no mistake in front of goal.
In the Europa League, Rangers were abysmal, but Gassama was one of the few players to escape with any credit.
However, the fact that he has only scored twice in 28 league games is poor, and ultimately, that’s the trophy that the Bears are fighting for the most this campaign.
Not only should his end product improve, but he needs to showcase consistency.
Rohl has plenty of talented wingers at his disposal, and if Gassama can’t perform in back-to-back games, then why should he start every week?
Only time will tell if he improves, but if Powell’s words are anything to go by, then we should see a quick rise in form over the next month.
For more in-depth analysis on the Gers, visit Football Insider.