Glasgow Rangers Old Firm victory last week was meant to be a turning point in their season, especially given how well they played against their rivals.
Instead, it proved to be yet another false dawn for Philippe Clement and Co. A trip to Easter Road is never easy at the best of times, but this was a chance for the Ibrox side to follow up the 3-0 win over Celtic with another three points.
Despite going two goals ahead due to Hamza Igamane, Hibs pegged the Gers back to 2-2, before scoring a late equaliser to snatch a point.
Several members of the starting XI struggled, including defender Robin Propper, who hasn’t enjoyed the best of seasons.
Robin Propper’s season in numbers
On the surface, Propper’s statistics, particularly regarding his passing, have been excellent. Indeed, the centre-back has an average pass success rate of 90% in the Premiership this term, while succeeding with over half of his long ball attempts.
This is all fine and well, but Propper has failed to adapt to the physicality of Scottish football since joining the Light Blues. In the top flight, he loses possession 8.5 times per game while committing 1.1 fouls every match.
The former Twente captain simply does not look robust enough to cope with the demands of football in Scotland, something which will constantly hurt the side if he continues to play.
With Clement’s defensive options limited at this moment in time due to injuries, perhaps he could save millions in the transfer market by unleashing an academy graduate over the next few weeks.
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Rangers can save millions with Propper replacement
A few years ago, Leon King was being talked about as the next big thing to come out of Auchenhowie, especially as he played in all six of the club’s Champions League games during the 2022/23 campaign.
Indeed, Manchester United and Newcastle United sent scouts to monitor the youngster, but he ended up signing a new contract at Ibrox.
Across his six games in the Champions League, King won 50% of his total duels while averaging a pass success rate of 79%, not bad for someone thrown into the deep end aged just 18.
Accurate passes
25.5
36.8
Tackles
1.7
1.3
Total duels won
2.7
3
Ball recoveries
2.3
N/A
Possession lost
7.2
5.5
Before that season, former Rangers defender Alan Hutton lavished the defender with praise, saying: “I think when I did watch him last season, he was like a big Rolls Royce, very elegant on the ball. He came out, kept possession and looked very comfortable for someone of such a young age.”
Since the start of last season, however, King has made just seven first-team appearances, with his progress seemingly stalling.
The 20-year-old only made his first senior appearance this term during the 3-3 draw with Hibs. There is no doubt how good King can be, but the Scotsman needs a chance to display his qualities in the starting XI.
Instead of splashing millions on a couple of centre-backs this month, if Clement managed to sign one while giving King much-needed game time, it could work wonders for his development.
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1 ByDan EmeryJan 5, 2025
