Glasgow Rangers head into their second Premiership match of the season under severe pressure to secure all three points.
The 0-0 draw against Hearts last week immediately put the Light Blues on the back foot, meaning a win over Motherwell this afternoon is a must.
Philippe Clement should make a few changes to his starting XI. Will a player who has started the opening two games of the campaign be dropped?
Tom Lawrence’s stats vs Hearts
Tom Lawrence was deployed as the number ten in the season opener against the Jambos due to the likes of Ianis Hagi and Todd Cantwell being on the verge of leaving the club.
During the tie, the Welshman completed just 21 passes, created just one big chance and made one key pass while succeeding with only one of his four dribble attempts. These are hardly the statistics of a player looking to carve open opposition defences.
Defensively, the former Derby County gem lost possession 11 times throughout the game, along with winning just four of his 15 total duels, showing how poor he was in one on one battles against the tricky Hearts side.
Rangers simply couldn’t find a way through the defence last week and there is no doubt that a greater threat in the final third is required against Motherwell today.
Touches
43
Accurate passes
21/25
Key passes
1
Big chances created
1
Total duels (won)
15 (4)
Dribble attempts (successful)
4 (1)
Via Sofascore
Could Clement relocate a player into the number ten slot against Well? As Mohamed Diomande has the ability to shine in a more advanced position.
The man to replace Lawrence vs Motherwell
The Ivorian has forged a solid partnership already with new signing Connor Barron in the heart of the midfield.
With a win needed, however, could Clement place Dujon Sterling in the centre of the midfield alongside Barron, moving Diomande into the attacking midfield slot?
During the second half of last season, the African averaged 1.5 key passes per game in the top flight, while also creating one big chance and succeeding with 62% of his dribble attempts, solid statistics as he adapted to Scottish football.
Prior to this, he was in excellent form for Danish side FC Nordsjaelland, as he showcased his abilities going forward during the first six months of the Danish top flight.
Indeed, the 22-year-old grabbed three assists, created three big chances and averaged 1.1 key passes per game. These statistics came in just 13 matches, making them stand out a lot more.
Lauded as “aggressive” by analyst John Walker, moving Diomande slightly further forward could be a masterstroke by the Belgian this afternoon.
He wouldn’t be sacrificing anything in the middle of the pitch, as Sterling has proved capable of starring in that area previously, therefore it is a gamble certainly worth taking in a must-win clash.
There is no doubt that the Light Blues do need to bring another attacking midfielder to the club, as Clement cannot rely on Lawrence between now and 2025, especially with his previous injury issues.
Diomande as the number ten behind Cyriel Dessers today? Yes please.
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