Sunday’s result might have been something of a setback, yet there remains reason for optimism at Ibrox, not least regarding Glasgow Rangers‘ January incomings.
Tuur Rommens and Tochi Chukwuani have settled in smoothly, although Danny Rohl‘s side are still waiting for both Andreas Skov Olsen and Ryan Naderi to truly ignite, with the latter man having been hampered by injury since his deadline day arrival.
Introduced in fits and starts, Naderi is still waiting for that real statement moment in Glasgow, with his only two goals thus far coming against Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup.
Signed for a fee of around £4.7m, the 22-year-old did catch the eye on his solitary Premiership start thus far against Hearts, although can he kick on even further when Celtic come to town on Sunday?
Why Naderi could be Rangers’ difference-maker against Celtic
Rohl’s men, having drawn two of their last three, aren’t exactly firing on all cylinders, although having still created seven ‘big chances’ against Livingston, the Gers should be licking their lips up against a creaky Celtic defence.
Indeed, recent results have exposed just why Naderi could enjoy himself on Sunday afternoon, with the visitors also hamstrung by the loss of Auston Trusty to a three-match ban, following the American’s dismissal against Hibernian.
Prior to that 2-1 loss, Martin O’Neill’s side were undone in their first-leg Europa League playoff tie against Stuttgart, with Denis Undav bagging two assists while operating as a second striker, providing encouragement for what Rangers’ own Thomas Muller can do in that role this time around.
“I think you see it in the training, I said to Ryan he’s a little bit like Thomas Müller, sometimes you don’t know how but he is doing the right things.” Rohl on Naderi.
Celtic also couldn’t contain a two-man forward line in their comeback win over Kilmarnock, with both Tyreece John-Jules and Joe Hugill getting on the scoresheet in the first half, again showcasing the problems that both Naderi and Youssef Chermiti can pose in the derby.
|
Predicted Rangers lineup vs Celtic |
|---|
|
GK – Butland |
|
RB – Tavernier |
|
CB – Souttar |
|
CB – Fernandez |
|
LB – Rommens |
|
CM – Raskin |
|
CM – Chukwuani |
|
RM – Gassama |
|
LM – Moore |
|
CF – Naderi |
|
ST – Chermiti |
That pairing was relentless against Hearts, combining for Chermiti’s opener, with Rohl hopefully set to reunite them from the start this time around, fitness permitting.
The early signs have certainly been promising, yet Naderi still has a way to go to prove he’s worthy of his notable price tag.
Rangers have struck gold on star who’s worth more than Naderi
The merits of Rangers’ £4.7m investment are yet to be fully determined, with Naderi’s prior home in Germany’s third tier ensuring he is still something of an unknown quantity.
That is recognised in his current market value, with Transfermarkt suggesting he is actually worth just €1.2m (£1m), the sixth-lowest value in the current Rangers squad.
Amid comparisons to Newcastle United’s £69m sensation, Nick Woltemade, however, Naderi could well secure the club a sizeable profit later down the line, something which teammate Dujon Sterling may also do if he can stay injury free moving forward.
Like Naderi, who started on the bench due to a minor injury, Sterling was a notable fitness setback ahead of Sunday’s clash with Livi, with it having been confirmed that the full-back will be sidelined for the next few weeks.
His repeated spells on the sidelines haven’t worked in his favour, although Rohl’s decision to start the 26-year-old ahead of James Tavernier against Hearts was telling of his importance to this side, with it perhaps no surprise that the backline wilted again in his absence at the weekend.
Signed on a free transfer from Chelsea, Sterling is the type of player whom Rangers “could make a fortune on if properly developed”, in the view of journalist Jonny McFarlane, having showcased such impressive versatility and adaptability in recent seasons.
He may not possess Tavernier’s attacking prowess in that right-back berth, yet Sterling is a real all-rounder regardless, having been hailed as a “special guy” by Rohl late last year.
That importance can be seen in his current value too, with Transfermarkt deeming him to be worth €2.5m (£2m), a solid valuation considering he was snapped up for nothing.
Of course, as already stated, a player who has made just eight Premiership appearances this season needs to be featuring more regularly, yet an astute signing Sterling remains, having now racked up 80 appearances for the club in total.
His absence may well be felt again on Sunday afternoon at Ibrox, although hopefully Naderi and co can do the business regardless.
Rohl could end Raskin’s Rangers career by unleashing £6m-rated Ibrox star
Could this summer be the end for Nicolas Raskin at Rangers?