Rangers manager Philippe Clement, at times, has resembled a man stuck between a rock and a hard place, banging his head against both.
If he refuses to rotate, and burns out a couple of Rangers’ key players during a gruelling fixture schedule, then Clement will get the blame. If he does rotate, and Rangers drop points while resting their star men, and guess what, Clement will get the blame.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to Hibernian, Philippe Clement highlighted the importance of adding depth to Rangers’ squad, either through the transfer market, the youth academy, or by improving those already at his disposal.
But with that largely shocking display away at Motherwell still fresh in the mind – Hamza Igamane rescued a somewhat second-string side with a brace off the bench at Fir Park in late December – Kris Boyd is praying that Clement sticks with a winning formula at Easter Road.
That, though, brings it’s own risks.
If Clement sticks with his usual starters throughout January – and The Gers have nine games to play this month alone – then what happens if, say, Igamane, Vaclav Cerny or Nico Raskin tweak a hamstring or break down due to the almost inhuman demands placed upon their bodies?
That, keeping his players injury-free while also putting points on the board, is a balance Clement remains under pressure to strike.
Kris Boyd wants Oscar Cortes and Kieran Dowell to start on Rangers’ bench
“Clement’s side face a tough game at Hibs, and his starting XI will be fascinating,” Boyd tells the Scottish Sun. “Put it this way, surely after what happened at Fir Park, he will surely realise that he can’t leave out key players on the advice of sports scientists.
“Rangers still have defensive injuries but, in terms of the front six, I don’t expect to see many – if any – changes for the Easter Road trip.
“Clement can’t possibly be thinking about throwing in Oscar Cortes and Kieran Dowell from the start again.”
Cortes, on loan from RC Lens with a £4 million purchase clause in his contract, made his first start since September at Motherwell. The relatively seldom-seen Dowell was also included in the XI, albeit both players would be replaced in the second-half as Rangers chased a winner with Clement turning to his trusted lieutenants.
Kris Boyd urges Clement to follow Arne Slot’s example at Liverpool
“The Rangers manager has to be strong on this. If you create scenarios where players are allowed to feel tired, they will be. Get them on the pitch, get them winning and then ‘tiredness’ doesn’t come into it,” Boyd argues.
“Personally, I would play the same starting XI that faced Celtic and see where it takes them.
“People seem to think I have it in for sports scientists. I don’t – they can give all the advice and data they want.
“It’s on the manager to make the call with his team selection and I would point you in the direction of Arne Slot and Liverpool. Mo Salah plays 90 minutes in almost every game and his output shows players don’t always need to be rested or protected.
“Rangers are not in a position to leave anybody out against Hibs tomorrow. Clement has to win this game and that means playing his strongest team.”
Every player is different of course. And just because Salah seems capable of performing to world-class standards every few days, that does not mean Cerny, Bajrami or Ianis Hagi can be expected to do the same without risk of picking up a strain.
Clement, then, can expect his selections to be scrutinised no matter which decisions he makes.
