Andreas Skov Olsen finally announced himself as a Rangers player vs Celtic – These stats prove it
Andreas Skov Olsen has had a mixed start to life at Rangers.
The Dane has joined on loan for the rest of the season from German side Wolfsburg, with there being an option to sign him permanently for £8.6million.
Skov Olsen arrived in Rangers with an impressive reputation after a successful spell at Club Brugge, before his initial move to Germany.
Although he wasn’t able to add to his goal tally for the Bears, his performance in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Celtic will give fans a lot of optimism.
Andreas Skov Olsen proves his worth vs Celtic
Danny Rohl was intent on bringing Skov Olsen to Govan, and it’s clear that he has a profile that suits his system.
The 26-year-old delivered a good cross for Youssef Chermiti’s fantastic opening goal at Ibrox and was a constant threat throughout the match, before being replaced by Djeidi Gassama in the 74th minute.
According to Sofascore, he completed 100 per cent of his long balls and won 71 per cent of his ground duels against Martin O’Neill’s side.
| Stat | Skov Olsen |
| Minutes played | 74 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Pass accuracy | 83% |
| Touches | 47 |
| Recoveries | 7 |
There may be some doubts about how he has performed in the final third, and, indeed, he is sometimes on the periphery of matches.
However, three goal contributions in six league appearances isn’t a bad return for a new signing.
He has gone from hardly featuring for Wolfsburg to becoming a key component of a title-challenging side, and it’s not a shock that he has taken a little bit of time to adjust.
However, the Celtic match was a clear sign that he has what it takes to be successful under Rohl.
The Sofascore graphic above shows that he has been a valuable addition, and Rohl will certainly be pleased with his progress.
Why does Danny Rohl value Skov Olsen so highly?
Skov Olsen has won 74 per cent of his ground duels per 90 minutes in the Scottish Premiership, and it’s clear that Rohl values his defensive stability over Gassama’s trickery out wide.
In the first half of this season, he won 75 per cent of his aerial duels and 60 per cent of his ground duels in the Bundesliga.
Although fans will want their wingers to provide some moments of magic in the final third, Rohl feels it’s equally important to use wide players who remain disciplined throughout the 90 minutes.
After Skov Olsen’s arrival was confirmed in January, Rohl said: “I was asking for a left foot on the right side. I think this is also part of it, because we have a lot of right-footed players, which gives us a different profile as well.
“He had a lot of goals in Club Brugge, and now it’s about us. If he comes, if we bring him back to his best performance, and if he can do this, then of course he could be a great loan signing.”
Of course, he still has a long way to go, but Skov Olsen’s first few games have indicated that he is a top-quality player who has a lot of potential at Rangers.
With title hopes hanging on, though, he will need to deliver even further now.
For more in-depth analysis on the Gers, visit Football Insider and have a look at some of their original content.