Glasgow Rangers face yet another midweek match as Philippe Clement is enjoying no respite from the hectic schedule during his short spell in charge of the Ibrox side.
Since taking charge of the Gers on 15 October, the Belgian is about to embark on his fourth match in just under three weeks and with cup games and European ties also to come before Christmas, the former Club Brugge boss will have to manage his squad smartly.
Rangers team news vs Dundee
Clement will have to do without a few players for tonight’s tie against Dundee, as John Souttar has now been ruled out along with Nicolas Raskin, who was substituted off against Hearts at the weekend having suffered an ankle injury.
The 49-year-old is certainly perplexed by the injury problems the squad has endured since the start of the season and declared his feelings while speaking with the media prior to the match this evening.
The new boss stated: "It's quite a puzzle, it's the biggest puzzle that I ever saw, to be honest with all the injuries. We started with a lot of players who are not available, some players then falling out in the last couple of weeks.
"It will be very important every game to look really good at the minutes of every player and try to build their physical condition and robustness to have a bigger squad available in the next couple of months.”
This will need to be fixed sooner rather than later, especially if Clement wants to lead this group of players to any sort of success this season.
Another Premiership win tonight will continue to build the confidence ahead of the League Cup semi-final on Sunday, but changes will have to be made to the starting XI, as there were several players simply not pulling their weight – Sam Lammers being the prime example.
Sam Lammers’ season in numbers
The Dutch forward cost the Ibrox side £3m during the summer transfer window, but he has yet to display this type of form since moving to Scotland.
The warning signs should have been apparent for Michael Beale before he signed the player, as Lammers managed to score just six times since the start of the 2020/21 season, yet he still splashed the cash on him.
The 26-year-old now has just one goal in 19 appearances for the Gers while he currently ranks third for big chances missed across the squad in the league this season (four), along with ranking 19th for key passes per game (0.4) and fifth for shots on target per game (0.8), hardly the statistics expected by someone who cost that much.
He was offered yet another start against Hearts, this time deployed on the right wing, yet he failed to offer anything meaningful in the final third.
Not only did Lammers fail to have a shot on target during the match, but he missed one big chance, lost possession 14 times and was dribbled past twice. His performance was the latest in a long line of disappointing displays since his summer arrival and something has got to give.
Clement is besieged by injuries, which obviously makes picking a starting XI harder, especially when he has to rely on players who are not in form, but the manager could explore the opportunity of playing some of his youth prospects.
Ross McCausland has looked lively during his brief senior appearances this term and against a Dundee side who will likely play the low block and attack on the counter, his creativity could be vital.
Ross McCausland’s statistics at youth level
The 20-year-old winger has emerged as one of the finest youth talents at the Light Blues, showcasing his ability both domestically and against European opposition.
Across four appearances in the UEFA Youth league last season, McCausland scored twice while he also registered 12 goal contributions – eight goals and four assists – in the Lowland League, and it’s evident that he offers a solid attacking threat from the right wing.
During his time at youth level, the Northern Irishman has featured 50 times, scoring nine goals and grabbing ten assists and judging by his fleeting appearances for the first team, he could be a better option than Lammers out wide.
Ross McCausland’s statistics at senior level
The youngster actually made an immediate impact on his senior debut for the Light Blues back in May 2022. Against Hearts in the final match of the league season, he came on with just 30 minutes to go and managed to register an assist during a 3-1 win for the club.
He was restricted to just two minutes under Beale last season, yet the winger has taken his chances well when called upon during the current campaign.
While McCausland has yet to start a league match during 2023/24, his three substitute appearances have so far yielded an impressive 1.7 key passes per game while he has also created one big chance and recovered 2.3 balls per game.
His statistics for the former two metrics are actually better than what Lammers has achieved, as the Dutchman has failed to create a big chance, while averaging just 0.4 key passes, and it is evident who Clement should give a chance to this evening.
1
0
0
0
0.4
1.7
0
1
4
0
David McCallum, the Rangers B coach, has praised McCausland highly in the past, saying: “You can see what Ross [McCausland] has got in talent, two goals tonight that were top class but he’s not the only one.”
The whole point of developing players via an academy is to give them an opportunity in the first team to see if they are ready to make the step up.
The 20-year-old has certainly grabbed the chances he has been presented with this term with both hands and his performances must surely be giving Clement a serious selection headache.
Lammers has been dreadful of late, and it is now time for him to take a break from senior action. This should open the door for the talented young winger to start against Dundee and show the new management setup exactly what he is made of.