Sport

Clement boldly drops Silva, “promising” 5ft10 gem unleashed

Published

8 months ago

February 5, 2024

Glasgow Rangers eased to a 3-0 win over Livingston at Ibrox on the weekend and another Premiership victory tomorrow evening will see them level on points at the top of the table.

To think the Gers were eight points behind after only seven matches, it shows just how good a job Philippe Clement has done since taking over at the Light Blues in October.

Aberdeen travel to Glasgow as the opponents on Tuesday evening and with Neil Warnock taking over at the Dons until the end of the season, they will be fired up to secure a positive result.

The Belgian may make a couple of changes due to the sharp turnaround in fixtures from the weekend, and it will be interesting to see which team he selects.

With this in mind, here’s a look at the starting XI that could take to the Ibrox pitch against the Dons tomorrow…

1GK – Jack Butland

The Englishman kept yet another clean sheet on the weekend – his 19th of the season – and in truth, he did not have much to do throughout the clash against Livingston.

Aberdeen will pose a much greater threat and with 12-goal hero Bojan Miovski scoring for fun for the Dons, he will have to be at his best to prevent the striker from scoring.

2RB – James Tavernier

Against Livi, the long-serving captain made his 300th league appearance for Rangers, and he has been a wonderful servant to the club since joining in 2015.

Tavernier is the Gers top scorer this season with 17 goals, but he has yet to find the back of the net in the Premiership in 2024 so far and the defender will be hoping this changes tomorrow evening.

Tavernier scored the winner against Aberdeen in the League Cup final just prior to Christmas and another decisive strike like that will please the Ibrox faithful.

3CB – Connor Goldson

Connor Goldson will retain his place after securing another clean sheet against Livi, and he was barely troubled, restricting the Livi frontline during the clash.

The experienced centre-back has missed just four games so far this season, and he is crucial to any success Rangers plan on having during the remaining months of 2023/24.

4CB – John Souttar

Against Livi, Leon Balogun started, but he suffered a facial injury which halted his game during the first half and was replaced by Souttar.

It is unclear when the Nigerian will be back, but for the clash against the Dons, the former Hearts centre-back will be given the nod to start the game.

5LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

Borna Barisic was given his first start since the League Cup final a week before Christmas on the weekend, but Yilmaz will return for the clash at Ibrox tomorrow.

The Turkish defender faced plenty of talk about a possible departure from Rangers during the winter window, yet he is here until the end of the season and his recent performances indicate that he can play a big part in the chase for glory.

6CM – John Lundstram

The former Sheffield United midfielder has entered into the final few months of his contract at Ibrox, yet if he keeps performing like he has since Clement took charge, there is no doubt the 29-year-old will be offered an extension.

Lundstram has missed only one match since mid-October, and it is testament to his consistency that has allowed him to be available for all but one game for the Belgian manager, meaning he will start tomorrow night.

7CM – Nicolas Raskin

The 22-year-old has endured a tough campaign to date, missing 18 games through injury and was an unused sub against Livingston on the weekend.

With squad rotation paramount over the next few weeks, it makes sense for Raskin to come into the starting XI as a replacement for Ryan Jack and 90 minutes could do the midfielder the world of good.

8RW – Ross McCausland

The young Irish winger has been on an upward ascent since properly breaking into the first team back in October, playing 22 matches for the senior side and registering five goal contributions in those matches.

The youngster impressed against Livingston, making three key passes, grabbing an assist, taking six shots in total, and even missing a big chance as he showcased his attacking abilities on the right flank.

The Dons could be tougher to break down than Livi and McCausland will need to be at his very best in order to carve some opportunities against their defence.

9AM – Todd Cantwell

Slowly but surely, Todd Cantwell is returning to the form he displayed during the final few months of last season.

Having waited until November to score his first goal of the season, the Englishman now has four league goals in his previous six matches in the top flight and this is the sort of form which Clement has been waiting to see.

The former Norwich City man will be unleashed in the number ten slot yet again and if he replicates his recent displays, the Dons will be run ragged by the former Norwich City gem.

10LW – Oscar Cortes

The January signing made his debut on the weekend, coming on for Rabbi Matondo in the second half and he looked keen to make an impression.

Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson dubbed the youngster as a “very promising young winger” and his pace and direct approach could be a big threat to the Dons tomorrow evening.

The 5 foot 10 starlet has all the attributes to make a success of his spell at Rangers, and he could endear himself to the Ibrox faithful by scoring against the Pittodrie side.

11ST – Cyriel Dessers

While Fabio Silva scored on the weekend, Dessers could come back into the starting XI in order to maintain some freshness about the squad.

The Nigerian scored in his first three matches of 2024 and his form has gradually taken an upward turn following a difficult start to the season.

A goal against Aberdeen would continue his recent renaissance, and it could secure all three points for the Glasgow side.

Predicted Rangers starting XI vs Aberdeen in full – GK – Butland; RB – Tavernier, CB – Goldson, CB – Souttar, LB – Yilmaz; CM – Lundstram, CM – Raskin; RW – McCausland, AM – Cantwell, LW – Cortes; ST – Dessers