Clement must finally unleash Rangers “Rolls Royce” over Sterling vs Ross County

Clement must finally unleash Rangers “Rolls Royce” over Sterling vs Ross County

The versatile academy graduate could be deployed in the middle of the park.

Glasgow Rangers are set to face off against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox this evening in their penultimate match of 2023.

The Light Blues will head into 2024 top of the table if they can win their next two matches – today and against Celtic on Saturday – and that is a fantastic incentive for Philippe Clement and his players.

They are coming into this match off the back of a 2-0 win over Motherwell in the top-flight on Sunday, thanks to first-half goals from Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell.

With three games in the space of six days, the Belgian head coach could look to rotate his squad. With this in mind, the ex-Monaco boss must finally unleash Leon King from the start as a defensive midfielder over Dujon Sterling.

Dujon Sterling’s performance against Motherwell in numbers

The summer signing from Chelsea has been deployed in a new role in the middle of the park by Clement and produced some impressive displays.

However, the 24-year-old ace did not enjoy his best afternoon on Sunday as the English whiz struggled in and out of possession throughout the game.

Sterling lost 60% (6/10) of his duels throughout the match, which included two of his three on the deck, and did not make a single tackle or interception in 90 minutes on the pitch.

He also lost possession a staggering 20 times and did not create a single chance for his teammates, to go along with a pass success rate of just 64%.

These statistics show that the ex-Stoke City loanee struggled to impact the game at both ends of the pitch positively and this could open the door for King to be unleashed.

Why King should start against Ross County

The Gers academy graduate has spent the vast majority of his senior career at Ibrox as a central defender but was brought on as a number six against Motherwell.

This is not a new position for the 19-year-old enforcer, though, as he has played five matches as a central or defensive midfielder for Scotland U21s this season.

Clement has clearly seen enough from the 6 foot ace in training, and those appearances for his country, to suggest that it is a viable position for him in the Premiership, as evidenced by his cameo on Sunday.

King as a central midfielder for Scotland U21s

Statistic

Sofascore rating

7.1

Pass accuracy

78%

Duel success rate

71%

Tackles won

Two

Interceptions

Three

Blocks

One

King, who was once described as a “big Rolls Royce” by ex-Gers defender Allan Hutton, has the defensive abilities, given his upbringing as a centre-back, to be a terrific holder in front of the back four.

As you can see from the table above, the teenage talent can dominate the opposition midfield with his ability to come out on top in physical duels.

King, who completed 88% of his attempted passes in 15 Premiership games last season, is also reliable in possession and could retain the ball to distribute it to the likes of Cantwell and Dowell ahead of him.

Therefore, Clement must unleash the £8k-per-week titan for his first league start of the campaign ahead of Sterling as the anchor of the midfield.

Daniel is an experienced football writer and editor, having worked in the football media industry for almost a decade.

After initially writing for Fresh Press as a volunteer for two years in 2015, helping to build and establish the Read brand, Daniel started a part-time job with Fresh Press that later turned into a full-time writing and editing role.

Daniel then spent just shy of a year writing and editing for Anfield Watch, which included conducting and/or transcribing interviews with Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, former Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, and journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Since the summer of 2021, Daniel has worked for Snack Media and been a contributor to Football FanCast, on a freelance and full-time basis along the way, as a writer and editor.

Daniel is also a big Norwich City fan and season ticket holder. He has been heard on BBC Norfolk and helped DAZN with research for their commentary due to his knowledge of the club, along with being featured in several local papers across the country, including the Coventry Telegraph and the Liverpool Echo, for Norwich-related content.