This evening, Philippe Clement has to unleash the attacking midfielder for the Light Blues right away.
This evening, Glasgow Rangers have the opportunity to get back on track when they play Dundee away in the Scottish Premiership.
They were scheduled to play the Light Blues prior to the current international break; however, a soggy pitch forced the match to be called off just before kickoff.
The goal for Philippe Clement’s team should be to get three points to put the Gers back on top of the table, as they are only one point behind rivals Celtic.
Rangers enter this game fresh off a 3-3 draw with the Hoops in their Old Firm encounter on Sunday, a game in which they overcame deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to get a point.
James Tavernier, Abdallah Sima, and Rabbi Matondo all scored goals to guarantee the Gers’ victory and give them a chance to take the lead in the Premiership once more this evening.
Given that the Light Blues gave up three goals at home, it was far from a flawless performance, and Clement may try to alter the starting lineup from Sunday.
The aggressive removal of Tom Lawrence, an offensive midfielder, from the starting lineup in favor of reintroducing Todd Cantwell is one change the Belgian head coach ought to do.
Tom Lawrence’s performance against Celtic
In the crucial match against Celtic at Ibrox, the former Derby County wizard was chosen to start as the number 10 behind Cyriel Dessers, with John Lundstram and Mohammed Diomande trailing him in midfield.
Sadly, the Wales international fell short of expectations and gave a lackluster effort before being substituted with the Hoops ahead 2-1.
| 23/24 Premiership | Tom Lawrence |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 18 |
| Sofascore rating | 7.10 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Key passes per game | 1.3 |
| Dribble success rate | 61% |
| Pass accuracy | 82% |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
With his skill and consistency when in control of the ball, Lawrence has often been a creative presence in midfield for Rangers, as the table above illustrates.
That was not the case on Sunday, though, as the 30-year-old midfielder failed on just 58% of his passes tried and failed to produce a single crucial pass or on-target shot.
In his 69 minutes on the field, the Gers dynamo lost possession 13 times, was tackled in both of his attempted dribbles, and had a 0% long pass success rate.
These numbers demonstrate that Lawrence’s careless ball play did not have a beneficial effect on the game in possession. Lawrence also committed a foul that resulted in Dessers’ goal being disallowed.
For this reason, Clement had to sideline the seasoned master for tonight’s match against Dundee because Cantwell might be a better fit in at number ten than he is.
Todd Cantwell’s bright Old Firm cameo
With 21 minutes remaining and Celtic leading 2-1, the former Norwich City player was substituted on and made an impressive cameo.
Lawrence produced no crucial passes in 69 minutes and played a major role in setting up Matondo’s equalizer in stoppage time, but he only managed one chance in those 21 minutes.
The English magician held onto the ball well under pressure and released it to Lundstram on the edge of the box, who then had a simple pass to set up Matondo for the sensational curling effort into the far corner.
In twenty-one minutes, Cantwell completed nine passes and twenty-five touches as he darted over the field to get on the ball and make an impact. In contrast, Lawrence spent more than three times as much time on the field with just 36 touches and 11 completed passes.
His enthusiasm was crucial in the third goal and helped Rangers regain the lead by moving the team up the pitch and into the Hoops’ third.
The 26-year-old star has also showcased his ability to directly impact matches with goals and assists since his move from the Canaries at the start of last year, which is another reason why Clement should unleash him against Dundee.
Todd Cantwell’s Premiership record
During the second half of last season, Cantwell hit the ground running in Glasgow with a fantastic return of six goals and four assists in 16 Premiership matches for Michael Beale.
The right-footed talent, who also created five ‘big chances’ and made 1.3 key passes per game, was directly involved in more than one goal every other game on average.
This season, the English wizard has once again provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Gers at the top end of the pitch, having been deployed out wide and through the middle as an attacking midfielder at times.
| 23/24 Premiership | Todd Cantwell | Tom Lawrence |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 24 | 18 |
| Sofascore rating | 7.35 | 7.10 |
| Goals | 5 | 1 |
| Assists | 4 | 3 |
| Big chances created | 5 | 4 |
| Key passes per game | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Pass accuracy | 84% | 82% |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As you can see in the table above, Cantwell has outperformed Lawrence in the Premiership this season with his reliability on the ball, his creativity, and his goal threat in the final third.
This is why Clement must brutally ditch the Welshman to unleash the former Premier League ace, who journalist Josh Bunting once claimed “makes things happen”, against Dundee tonight, particularly when you consider how vulnerable their defence is.
Only Livingston (55) have conceded more goals than Dundee (54) in the Premiership, which suggests that there will be chances for the Gers to secure a convincing win as they do not have a tight backline.
As a result, Rangers need individuals who can take advantage of that weak defense. Cantwell is the ideal candidate for the position based on his statistics thus far this season, having proven his ability to score goals during the previous 18 months.
Lawrence should be benched tonight to make room for the former Canary whiz since he doesn’t offer enough of a goal threat to be regarded as a deadly menace in the final third and has only scored one league goal for the Gers this season.
