In 2008, Rangers struck gold with a player they had sold to Walter Smith.
The Glasgow Rangers are poised to win the Premiership heading into the season’s final eight games.
All they need to do is win their last league games to secure their first championship since the 2020–21 campaign. Naturally, this is easier said than done, particularly considering that two of their final eight games will be against Celtic.
But with all the confidence Philippe Clement has given his players, they won’t be put off by this Celtic team, who have had ups and downs under Brendan Rodgers.
This season, the Gers have scored 67 goals in the league, seven fewer than Celtic, but they have only given up a league-low 17 goals in defense.
Their success this season has been largely based on having a solid defense, and there’s no doubt that this will be important in the upcoming games.
To put it mildly, Jack Butland has been a brilliant addition. In his 47 games in all competitions, he has kept 23 clean sheets while giving up just 37 goals.
John Souttar and Connor Goldson, Clement’s preferred center-back tandem, have flourished in recent months and are now the core members of the defense.
Rangers statistics for John Souttar and Connor Goldson
After missing a significant portion of the season due to an ankle injury, Souttar had a difficult first season at Ibrox. However, now that he is recovered, he is starting to emerge as the top option.
The Scot has made 22 Premiership appearances and boasts an 88% pass success rate, nine clean sheets, 3.5 clearances per game, and a stunning 75% of all duels contested (or 5.8 per game) won. These statistics demonstrate how good he is in one-on-one situations against opposing players.
| Premiership stats this season for Rangers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Metric | John Souttar | Connor Goldson |
| Accurate passes per game | 59.4 | 61.6 |
| Total duels won per game | 5.8 | 5.8 |
| Tackles per game | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| Possession lost per game | 8.5 | 10.3 |
| Interceptions per game | 1 | 0.3 |
With 77% of his aerial duels won this season, Clement’s power in the air also suggests he has what it takes to be a regular in the Rangers starting lineup.
Goldson is a fantastic companion for Souttar; they have a wonderful chemistry and play off one another very effectively. In addition to making 1.4 tackles, three clearances, and recovering 5.6 balls per game, the Englishman has an excellent 87% pass success rate.
Furthermore, he has won 67% of his total duels this term because to his physical power, demonstrating how difficult it is to break him and Souttar’s backline.
Maintaining the players’ fitness will be crucial going ahead for Clement, particularly if he wants to build on his League Cup triumph from earlier in the season by winning a Scottish Cup and a league title.
The value of Souttar and Goldson
Even though both players have been playing at nearly peak performance levels since the beginning of the year, their current market valuations do not reflect this.
In fact, Souttar is now the second-cheapest center-back for the team, valued at just €0.7m (£600k), according to Football Transfers.
Even at his best, Goldson is worth less than anticipated. With just two years left on his contract, it seems improbable that a team will make a bid higher than the €2.5 million (£2.1 million) that the 31-year-old is currently worth.
After making an impression for La Liga team Osasuna in a UEFA Cup match against the Light Blues the previous season, the defender joined La Liga for a mere £2 million.GET MORE NEWS HERE
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