Suddenly, an area of the Rangers squad which previously looked like a weakness is starting to become a position of real strength.
Not so long ago, Philippe Clement had only Cyriel Dessers to call upon in the number nine role.
Danilo was once again struggling with the injury which had blighted his Rangers career. And, while Clement had no doubts about his potential, the Rangers boss was wary of throwing Hamza Igamane in at the deep end before the summer signing from RAF Rabat was ready to contribute efficiently.
But, as the Glasgow giants prepare to welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Ibrox in matchday six of the Europa League on Thursday night, Clement suddenly, and perhaps unexpectedly, has three in-form strikers to choose from.
Hamza Igamane scored another stunner against Ross County on Saturday. Four of his five Rangers goals have come in the last four matches, the Moroccan destroying Nice last time out in Europe too with a coming-of-age brace on French soil.
Danilo also has goals in successive matches, putting those fitness issues behind him at last. And, while Dessers has not started since the draw with Dundee United on November 23rd, he still found the time to net twice off the bench in that 6-0 thrashing of Kilmarnock.
But while Rangers are fighting to secure a spot in the knock-out rounds of the Europa League – level with Spurs on ten points ahead of Thursday’s kick-off – Albion Rrahmani’s own continental sojourn appears destined to end with a frantic packing of the suitcase and a quick flight back home.
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Former Rangers target Albion Rrahmani opens Champions League account
Rangers were ‘very close’ to signing Albion Rrahmani at one point last summer, according to Romanian publication Digi Sport. Then operating as the club’s head of recruitment, Nils Koppen held talks with Rrahmani’s agent too.
But, with Rangers never going as far as to agree a fee with Rapid Bucharest, the Kosovo international would end the summer window as a Sparta Prague player instead. He moved to the Czech Republic to the tune of around £4 million.
Now, a tally of six goals in 18 games for Sparta doesn’t really suggest that Rangers missed out on an ‘incredible killer’, to quote Rrahmani’s Sparta Prague teammate Tomas Wiesner –
The 24-year-old was prolific both in Kosovo and Romania. The Czech league represents a step-up in quality, however. One that Rrahmani has found a little steep thus far.
But a maiden Champions League goal – albeit in a 4-2 defeat at Feyenoord which leaves Sparta on the brink of elimination – should do Rrahmani’s confidence a world of good.
James Tavernier explains Rangers’ sudden goalscoring form
Rangers know only too well how much difference a shot of confidence can make. Cyriel Dessers, often awful, sometimes awesome, feels like the prime example of a centre-forward who’s productivity relies upon his levels of self-belief.
Danilo and Igamane, meanwhile, are clearly benefitting themselves at a Rangers side who have gone from wasteful to clinical in the space of only a few weeks.
A chance Tavernier puts down to a change in tactics – Danilo and Ianis Hagi reinstated to Philippe Clement’s XI – and a change in mentality too.
“We obviously tweaked a little bit in the tactics, and it’s really showing the team really well,” Tavernier said during his Wednesday press conference. “The team are really performing and, obviously, you’ve seen me get on the [score] sheet a couple of times now.
“You want to have that throughout the season. You can’t be perfect all the time but it’s about just continuing to keep working hard and that’s what everyone’s doing.
“Obviously goals haven’t come that much domestically but I think it was nine goals in two games over the course of last week. Sometimes, it can be the opponent, it can be us as a team.
“We’ve been very critical of ourselves about performances. Just [things like] final third entries and being clinical in front of goal, I think we’ve been doing that of late, being really clinical and getting our rewards when we get into those positions.”
Rangers won’t have Danilo and Hagi against Tottenham, however. Both players were left out of Clement’s Europa League roster in September.
