Philippe Clement has a Rangers striker headache but there's a clear reason why Sima ISN'T the answer - Kenny Miller
Our man has his says as a huge week awaits his former club and Ibrox manager Philippe Clement.
Philippe Clement has a massive decision to make over who starts as the main striker in what’s a crucial week for Rangers.
For me it has to be Cyriel Dessers against Real Betis on Thursday - but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will be the man to take on Aberdeen in next Sunday’s League Cup Final. Listen, Dessers got an important goal in yesterday’s draw with Dundee and he should take huge confidence from that.
But he gets my nod for Thursday more through default than anything else because Danilo is injured and the noises are that Kemar Roofe is not yet ready to play significant minutes. Dessers has to get his head round the fact he has that jersey and now this gives him the chance to nail a cup final slot. It could be a massive opportunity for him. I’ve seen it suggested by some that Abdallah Sima could be given the main striker role. His goal return of 13 from 26 games so far is very good considering he’s playing on the left.
But Sima at number nine? I don’t like that thought process. The Brighton man is currently playing in the position where he is most effective. He’s not a focal point, there’s not a lot of build-up or hold-up involved in his role.
If he was number nine that would be an area of the game that needs to be improved. But what we have seen from him is a real willingness to run in behind defenders, use his pace and power, we’ve seen his hunger to get in the box and score goals.
If you think of his goal at Tynecastle on Wednesday, he has that capability to run beyond the striker. He can see the space coming off the left flank and can make that diagonal run.
That’s where he is best served, penetrating a backline when a ball is put in front of him. Thirteen goals is very good. Why change that? Compare that to Ryan Kent in the same position. A big thing against Ryan was his numbers - goals and assists. You can’t throw that against Sima.
I would be sticking with him there and going with Dessers or Roofe through the middle against Betis and Aberdeen. If Dessers doesn’t produce the good in Seville on Thursday then it could be time to unleash Roofe at Hampden.
When I played as the main striker in a 4/3/3 I always had good players supporting me, whether that be midfielders like Steven Davis or Barry Ferguson or wider players like Steven Naismith or Nacho Novo. As long as you’ve got players about you, players that will go beyond, that’s what Rangers need. Players to run behind an opposition backline.
Sima does it. They need someone to do it from the number 10 or 8 position too. It’s up to Todd Cantwell not to just always go looking for the ball but look for it through the line - because that’s the hardest run in the game to match. You’re forcing defenders to make decisions and you’re freeing up space for your colleagues.
Rangers need more cohesion in the forward areas and that’s the difference still between them and Celtic. That’s the next stage for Clement. But every time he gets the right players in the right positions someone seems to get injured. It must be infuriating.
Before then he just needs to find a way to come through a massive week with Europa League progress and the first piece of silverware in the bag. The cup final next Sunday HAS to be won. Lifting trophies has to become the norm again.
Before that comes a big game in Spain against Betis which, to be honest, should be more academic than it is. Rangers have an opportunity to top the group with a win. That’s got to be the aim and if they can do that superb.
But they’ve made it hard by drawing with Aris Limassol after losing to them in Cyprus. The noises pre-Aris a fortnight ago were ‘oh we’ve got European football after Christmas’. It was almost like that was acceptable.
Listen, Rangers should be qualifying in the top two of that group. Particularly after beating the best team in the opening game. If they finish third then I’d view it as a poor Europa League group campaign. Even with that safety net of the Conference League.
Had they taken care of business against Aris last week then they could have rested a few players if needed on Thursday with a cup final just three days later. Now they don’t have that luxury.