Cup matches would sometimes present a staff with an opportunity to rotate their facet and supply possibilities to younger gamers however that was not the case for Glasgow Rangers on Saturday.
The Mild Blues, who lastly made their return to Ibrox after beginning the season at Hampden Park, confronted Dundee within the quarter-finals of the League Cup.
With a spot within the final 4 up for grabs, Philippe Clement couldn’t make wholesale modifications or deliver academy gamers into the fold for this conflict.
His choice to pick out his strongest XI was backed up by the efficiency and end result as they swept the opposition apart with ease, profitable 3-0 at Ibrox.
Cyriel Dessers discovered the again of the online twice for the Gers, both facet of a penalty from James Tavernier, and is now on seven objectives in 9 appearances this season.
Connor Barron performed one other full 90 minutes in the midst of the park for Rangers and presently seems like an extremely shrewd signing through the summer season switch window from Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen.
Connor Barron’s begin to life at Rangers
The Scotland U21 worldwide’s contract with Aberdeen expired on the finish of the 2023/24 marketing campaign and that allowed the Ibrox giants to swoop in and snap him up for a compensation charge.
Rangers allowed Ryan Jack and John Lundstram to each transfer on as free brokers and that left a emptiness in midfield, which Barron has now expertly crammed.
He has began eight of the membership’s 9 matches in all competitions thus far, solely lacking out on the win over St Johnstone within the final spherical of the League Cup, and this reveals that Clement already trusts him to play week-in-week-out.
|
24/25 Premiership |
Connor Barron |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
5 |
|
Go accuracy |
91% |
|
Tackles + interceptions per recreation |
3.0 |
|
Ball recoveries per recreation |
4.0 |
|
Floor duel success fee |
45% |
|
Aerial duel success fee |
31% |
|
Stats by way of Sofascore |
|
As you possibly can see within the desk above, Barron has offered a chilled presence in possession along with his go completion fee of 91%, which reveals that he completes the overwhelming majority of his tried passes within the Scottish Premiership.
His seven tackles, interceptions, and recoveries mixed per match additionally present that he seems to buzz across the pitch to win possession again for his facet, by breaking apart opposition assaults.
Nonetheless, the Scottish teen has misplaced nearly all of his duels, on the deck and within the air, and this implies that he nonetheless wants to enhance his physicality to compete in opposition to stronger opponents.
The previous Aberdeen star has been dribbled previous two occasions per recreation on common within the Premiership thus far this season, at the least 0.5 occasions extra per match than any of his teammates, and is just one of two gamers – alongside Oscar Cortes – to have been dribbled previous greater than as soon as per recreation on common.
This means that Barron shouldn’t be fully suited to taking part in as a quantity six within the Rangers midfield and that he may have extra pleasure in a quantity eight function, as it will enable him to buzz concerning the pitch with out worrying about any gaps left in the midst of the pitch behind him if he’s dribbled previous.
In the mean time, the opposition can run on the Rangers backline by getting previous the Scottish gem as a result of the membership do not need a pure defensive, dependable, midfielder to anchor the staff.
This means that Clement may assist the summer season signing to thrive much more by bringing in a quantity six to take a seat on the base of the midfield and permit the Scotland youth worldwide to push ahead and press excessive to win possession again.
On the age of twenty-two, there’s nonetheless loads of time for Barron to develop additional and enhance beneath Clement at Ibrox. Because of this he may develop in worth over time and emerge as a priceless asset for the membership sooner or later, which is why he has been a unbelievable signing for the short-term and has the potential to be a terrific long-term addition.
Rangers could have already got their dream midfield anchor who may develop alongside the Gers quantity eight within the type of academy prospect Bailey Rice.
Why Bailey Rice is an thrilling prospect
Former Rangers supervisor Michael Beale described the teenage sensation as a “heck of a participant” and claimed that he was “prepared” for first-team soccer in September of final 12 months.
The 17-year-old has been on the bench on three events thus far this season, in opposition to Dynamo Kyiv, St Johnstone, and Ross County, however is but to make his senior bow beneath Clement.
He performed twice beneath Beale within the Premiership through the 2023/24 marketing campaign and made his first-team debut beneath the Englishman within the 2022/23 season.
The Scotland U19 worldwide is an out-and-out defensive midfielder who can sit on the base of the midfield and supply a stable and dependable presence, which might then enable Barron, and the likes of Nicolas Raskin and Mohammed Diomande, to push additional up the pitch.
Rice has already been capped 28 occasions by Scotland at youth degree, for the U16s, U17s, and U19s, and this reveals that his nation view him as a promising younger participant.
His three appearances within the first-team for Rangers within the Premiership on the age of 17 additionally present that the membership imagine that he has an enormous future at Ibrox, as they’ve appeared to get him expertise as shortly as potential.
The Scottish gem, who turns 18 subsequent month, has produced two objectives and one help in 19 matches for Rangers B so far and it stays to be seen what Clement’s long-term plans are for him.
Rice has been on the bench thrice beneath the Belgian thus far this time period and this implies that the teen shouldn’t be 1,000,000 miles away from being in rivalry to characteristic in matches.
As a pure holding midfielder, he may emerge as a dream for Barron in the midst of the park by taking part in because the six and liberating up his compatriot to push on and never nervous about what’s left behind him if he’s dribbled previous as Rice might be in the fitting place to comb up.
It’s now all the way down to Clement to supply the teenage starlet with an opportunity to point out off his expertise within the first-team, and for the midfielder to show that he has what it takes to play week-in-week-out at senior degree.
