Glasgow Rangers have the chance to bounce back to winning ways this evening as they travel away to face off against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.
The Light Blues were supposed to play them before the recent international break but the match was postponed shortly before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch.
Three points for the Gers will send them back to the top of the league, as they only one point behind rivals Celtic, and that should be the aim for Philippe Clement’s side.
Rangers come into this match off the back of a 3-3 draw in the Old Firm clash with the Hoops on Sunday, a game in which they battled back from 2-0 and 3-2 down to secure a point.
Goals from James Tavernier, Abdallah Sima, and Rabbi Matondo ensured that the Gers avoided defeat and provided themselves with a chance to return to the top of the Premiership tonight.
It was far from a perfect performance from the Light Blues, given that they conceded three goals at home, and Clement could look to make some changes from the starting XI that lined up on Sunday.
One alteration the Belgian head coach should make is to brutally ditch attacking midfielder Tom Lawrence from the lineup to bring Todd Cantwell back into the team.
Tom Lawrence’s performance against Celtic
The former Derby County wizard was selected to start as the number ten behind Cyriel Dessers, with John Lundstram and Mohammed Diomande behind him in midfield, in the big clash with Celtic at Ibrox.
Unfortunately, the Wales international failed to step up to the mark as he produced a disappointing performance before being taken off with the score at 2-1 to the Hoops.
| 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 | |
As you can see in the table above, Lawrence has usually been a creative presence in midfield for Rangers with his quality and reliability in possession of the ball.
However, that was not the case on Sunday as the 30-year-old midfielder only completed 58% of his attempted passes and did not contribute with a single key pass or shot on target.
The Gers dynamo, who lost possession 13 times, was also tackled in both of his attempted dribbles and had a 0% long pass success rate in his 69 minutes on the pitch.
These statistics show that Lawrence, who also committed a foul that caused Dessers’ goal to be ruled out, did not make a positive impact on the game in possession, with his wasteful play on the ball.
This is why Clement must now drop the experienced maestro to the bench for this clash with Dundee, as Cantwell could be a better option than him in the number ten role tonight.
Todd Cantwell’s bright Old Firm cameo
The former Norwich City star was brought on with 21 minutes left to go and the score at 2-1 to Celtic and caught the eye with an energetic cameo.
He created one chance in those 21 minutes, whilst Lawrence made zero key passes in 69 minutes, and was heavily involved in the build-up to the equaliser from Matondo in stoppage time.
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.
Cantwell buzzed about the pitch to get on the ball and make an impact, with 25 touches and nine passes completed in 21 minutes. Whereas, Lawrence only had 36 touches and completed 11 passes in more than three times as much time on the field.
His energy helped to get Rangers back into the match, by getting the Gers up the pitch and into the Hoops third, and then played a big role in the third goal.
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.
Therefore, Rangers need players who can make the most of that leaky defence, and Cantwell’s statistics so far this season suggest that he is the right man for the job as he has showcased his quality as a goalscorer over the last 18 months.
Lawrence, who has only scored one league goal for the Gers this term, does not provide enough of a goal threat to be considered a lethal threat in the final third, which is why he should be dropped to make way for the ex-Canary whiz tonight.
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