Sterling upgrade: Clement could terrorise Livi by unleashing Rangers’ £23k-p/w “spark” – opinion

Sterling upgrade: Clement could terrorise Livi by unleashing Rangers’ £23k-p/w “spark” – opinion

Glasgow Rangers face Livingston at Ibrox this afternoon, looking to make it three victories in three Premiership games since returning from the winter break.

In what is traditionally a difficult tie to manage, Livi are currently bottom of the first tier, having won only two games this season and scoring only 15 goals, implying that the Gers should cruise to a simple victory.

Of course, the Light Blues have never had it easy, but Philippe Clement has transformed them into a well-drilled squad capable of winning even when they are not playing especially well, as evidenced by their 1-0 victory against St. Mirren last week.

With the January transfer window over, Clement will have to be content with his three new signings, but it looks as though Mohammed Diomande and Oscar Cortes will have to wait to make their debuts.

Rangers Team News vs. Livingston

Prior to the match against Livi, the Belgian manager spoke with the media, suggesting that today was not the best time for both new arrivals to see play.

He remarked, “Oscar (Cortes) has lately played matches, therefore he is fit. Diomande played his last game at the end of November during the pre-season, therefore we need to integrate these youngsters into the squad.”

Hopefully, the duo will be able to adjust quickly, especially given the number of key games coming and the importance of team rotation.

Fortunately, there do not appear to be any fresh injuries among the group, so Clement will have a comparable pool of players to choose from this weekend.

He may make a few changes to the starting lineup, bringing in some fresh legs.

Clement might make some adjustments versus Livingston.

Last Saturday against the Buddies, the former AS Monaco manager experimented slightly, shifting Dujon Sterling from his usual midfield place to the left wing due to Abdallah Sima’s injury.

Despite winning the match 1-0, the positional adjustment did not go well, with Sterling failing to present the same attacking threat as either Sima or Rabbi Matondo, which was natural considering he tends to operate in a defensive role.

Sterling played virtually the entire match until being replaced with a few minutes remaining, but he had no significant beneficial impact on the game.

The Englishman lost possession 11 times, made just one vital pass, and won only three of his 14 duels, indicating that he is not suited to a more advanced role.

Matondo had a brief appearance against Paisley, but Clement must now give the former Manchester City starlet a start today, especially with Sima out and Cortes not yet at full strength.

Rabbi Matondo might terrorize Livingston.

When the Welshman arrived in Glasgow in the summer of 2022, there were high expectations for him, but he struggled throughout his first season.

The former Schalke star had only five assists in 28 games in all competitions, and it appeared like his time in Scotland would come to an end after only one season.

He buckled down in preseason, however, and was given another shot under Michael Beale, which he seized with both hands.

The winger scored his first goal for the club in a Champions League qualifier against PSV Eindhoven at Ibrox in August, and he appeared sharp and eager to give a consistent danger in front of goal.

Indeed, his performance against the Dutch side earned him the nickname “bright spark” from journalist Euan Robertson, and his goal was essential in the eventual 2-2 draw.

The 23-year-old has since scored another goal and provided four assists, one of which came against Livi in August, proving that he merits a regular spot in the starting lineup.

Matondo was in excellent form in his final start for the Gers against Hibs last week. Not only did he offer assistance, but the £23k-per-week machine  also created two big chances, made two key passes, took six shots in total, and succeeded with 75% of his dribble attempts, generally running their defence ragged during the clash.

Rabbi Matondo’s domestic stats for Rangers	2022/23	2023/24
Goals	0	1
Assists	4	3
Key passes per game	0.8	0.8
Successful dribbles per game	1.3	1.3
Big chances created	4	3
Stats via:dailysportnews.co.uk

 

Another performance like this against the team occupying the remainder of the table might secure his place on the left wing for the foreseeable future and provide him a significant confidence boost.

Matondo ranks third in the squad for successful dribbles per game (1.3) in the top division this season, as well as tenth for shots on target per game (0.3), indicating that, while he exploits his quickness and skill to confuse opposing defenders, his finishing might be improved.
Rangers’ record versus Livingston.

David Martindale’s side have proven to be fierce contenders over the previous few seasons, but lack of money issues has hampered them this season, and they could be returning to the Championship for the first time in six  years

Livi have only won once since being promoted to the Premiership ahead of the 2018/19 season, and that was just a few months ago, when they defeated Steven Gerrard’s team 1-0.

This season, the Light Blues have scored 10 goals against the club while surrendering zero, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Gers score three or four today.

Clement will advise his team to get out to a quick start and score a few early goals so that he can rotate his squad in the second half, giving some fringe players a chance to play.

Matondo must be released from the start since he possesses all of the necessary tools to terrorise this poor Livi defence, which has conceded an astonishing 38 goals, and the 49-year-old manager will undoubtedly anticipate three points.

With a game against Aberdeen coming up just three days later, a comfortable win would be hugely beneficial.

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