Rangers star with "bags of pace" has become their new Ryan Kent
Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement has seen his side win their last two games 6-0 and 3-0 respectively. It wasn’t just securing all three points that was important against Kilmarnock and Ross County, but the performances themselves were superb.
Indeed, across both matches, the Gers registered 47 shots, which resulted in nine goals being scored. The main difference was having Hamza Igamane supporting Danilo.
The starlet scored three times across both games, including a stunning long-range effort against County, but his link-up play with Danilo was equally impressive.
It is no secret that the club have struggled to find a consistent attacking threat on the left wing. Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo have both endured spells out injured this term, while Nedim Bajrami has filled in to decent effect, despite the Albanian favouring an attacking midfield role.
Igamane looked at ease in an unfamiliar setting, that’s for sure. Only time will tell if this could be a long-term solution to Clement’s problem, however.
How the Belgian tactician would love to call on someone like Ryan Kent in this Rangers side, especially when he was in his prime under Steven Gerrard.
Ryan Kent’s Rangers statistics
As in the past, the Light Blues relied heavily on the loan market ahead of the 2018/19 campaign, which was to be Gerrard’s first at the club.
Several players joined the Gers, but it was the loan signing of Kent which got heads turning, especially as he was developing nicely at Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp.
“I think when the opportunity came around to join a club of this magnitude, it was a bit of a no-brainer,” said Kent regarding his move north of the border. With a former Liverpool icon in charge of the Light Blues, it was a move that could work out well for all parties.
Indeed, the winger enjoyed an excellent campaign in Scotland, scoring six goals while registering a further nine assists in all competitions, which led to calls for Gerrard to pursue a permanent deal for the starlet.
With the summer deadline ticking away, plenty of supporters were getting anxious about whether Kent would be returning to the club, but a deal worth around £7.5m – one of the biggest signings in the club’s history – was announced ahead of the transfer window closing.
He scored against Celtic in Rangers’ first win at Parkhead in nine years during the 2019/20 season, adding in another seven goals, but he couldn’t lead them to silverware.
The 2020/21 campaign proved to be his finest, registering 27 goal contributions – 13 goals and 14 assists – as the Gers won their first league title in a decade, going the whole season undefeated in the process.
|
Ryan Kent’s Rangers stats |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2022/23 |
44 |
3 |
10 |
|
2021/22 |
46 |
3 |
19 |
|
2020/21 |
52 |
13 |
14 |
|
2019/20 |
33 |
8 |
4 |
|
2018/19 |
43 |
6 |
9 |
|
Via Transfermarkt |
|||
This proved to be Kent’s pinnacle at the club. He would produce some moments of magic over the following two campaigns, but a return of just six goals proved that his heart certainly wasn’t in it anymore.
With just months left on his contract, it appeared as though the English winger was seeking to leave Scotland, and it came as no surprise in May 2023 when they announced that he was one of the five players who would be departing in the summer.
Since leaving, Kent has played a total of 19 games for Fenerbahçe before having his contract terminated.
There is no doubt that between 2018 and 2021, Kent was one of the finest players in Scotland.
Does Clement have his own Kent-like figure in his current first-team squad? There’s another loan star lighting up Ibrox with every passing week…
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Rangers' new Ryan Kent
Like Kent, Cerny is on a season-long loan deal, yet his impressive performances of late have led to calls to make this a permanent one at the end of the season.
Across all competitions this season, the Czech sensation has scored nine goals while providing five assists for the Light Blues, cementing a spot on the right flank.
While Ross McCausland was preferred last term, it was evident that Clement required a player who could offer that cutting-edge in the final third and Cerny has worked his magic so far.
Domestically, the wide player has created three big chances, averaging 2.6 key passes and 1.5 successful dribbles per game, causing plenty of chaos to opposition defenders in the Premiership.
it is in the Europa League where Clement has seen the winger at his best, however. Not only has he notched up five goal contributions in as many games, but the 27-year-old has created two big chances, succeeded with 1.8 dribbles – a 60% success rate – along with averaging 1.8 key passes per game.
Furthermore, when compared to his peers in the Europa League, Cerny ranks in the top 5% for total shots (4.32), the top 16% for successful take-on percentage (60%) and in the top 19% for carries into the opposition penalty area per 90 (2.29), demonstrating just how effective he is in getting past defenders and into the penalty box.
Just before he signed, Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson heaped praise on the Wolfsburg attacker, saying: “The last time Vaclav Cernu played in a league similar to ours (Eredivisie) he had 27 goal contributions in 36 appearances. A left-footed right winger with bags of pace and ability on the ball, he would be a real statement signing.”
It may have taken a month or two to truly settle in, but the fans are now seeing the very best of Cerny. A winger who is not only able to get the better of their opposite number but who can cut in on his stronger foot and score plenty of goals.
He is certainly emerging as the club’s new Kent and a permanent deal will be looked at as the season progresses.
Whether Rangers can afford him is a different story. The board and manager will cross that bridge when they get to it. Firstly, there are trophies to be won.
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