Glasgow Rangers finally clicked into gear during their Europa League victory on Thursday evening.
The 2-0 win over Malmö could arguably have been by a higher margin, but several easy chances were missed. Nevertheless, a win is a win and securing all three points ensures Philippe Clement begins life positively in Europe’s second-tier event.
The Belgian saw several of his summer signings produce excellent displays in Sweden, as Nedim Bajrami scored after just 55 seconds, while Neraysho Kasanwirjo was solid on his European debut for the Ibrox side.
It finally looks like the team is clicking on the pitch. Momentum now needs to be carried into the Premiership clash against Hibernian on Sunday.
Connor Barron was arguably the standout on the pitch for the Gers, performing way above his tender age, dominating the midfield battle.
|
Connor Barron’s stats vs Malmö |
|
|---|---|
|
Touches |
53 |
|
Tackles |
2 |
|
Interceptions |
4 |
|
Clearances |
2 |
|
Ground duels (won) |
3 (2) |
|
Possession lost |
9 |
Hopefully, he can continue to develop over the next few years, as there is no doubt the Light Blues have a special talent on their hands.
It wouldn’t be the first time the club had a youngster who looked like the next best thing, however, and failed to deliver on their potential, as Mark Warburton signed a midfielder who had made a name for himself at Liverpool.
Mark Warburton’s Rangers signings
The former Brentford manager took charge of the Gers ahead of the 2015/16 campaign, using that summer to beef up his squad for a promotion tilt.
Indeed, he signed players such as Danny Wilson, James Tavernier, Jason Holt and Andy Halliday, along with securing a few loan signings in the process.
They all played their part as the Light Blues secured a return to the top flight, while winning the Challenge Cup and reaching the final of the Scottish Cup.
Back in the Premiership after four years, it was clear Warburton would have to add some quality to his first-team squad. This saw players such as Niko Kranjcar, Philippe Senderos and Joey Barton added, three names that had a wealth of Premier League experience behind them.
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It didn’t exactly do the club much good, finishing third in the top division while failing to win either of the domestic cups. Warburton would be gone before the end of the season, departing in February 2017, and it looked like the club were stuck in a rut.
The Englishman also signed Jordan Rossiter, a young midfielder who had made a name for himself at Anfield a couple of years prior.
Jordan Rossiter’s record at Liverpool
The Englishman played 35 times for the U21, U18 and Youth League teams as he was beginning to show plenty of promise on Merseyside.
He was given his debut by Brendan Rodgers in a League Cup clash against Middlesbrough in September 2014, going on to make an immediate impression for the Reds, scoring the only goal for the club during the game, adding yet more hype to his talents.
While that was his only appearance for the senior side that season, he did go on to feature four times the following season, yet as the end of the 2015/16 campaign was drawing to a close, it was evident Jürgen Klopp didn’t see much of a future for the midfielder in his team.
He was heavily praised, with former Anfield centre-forward Robbie Fowler hailing Rossiter as “potentially a young Stevie G” way back in 2013, yet he failed to really make the grade at Anfield.
Liverpool’s loss was looking like it could be Rangers’ gain, as the club announced in May 2016 that Warburton had snapped him up on a pre-contract agreement, having to pay just £250k in the process.
Jordan Rossiter’s Rangers stats
After making six appearances for his new club during the opening weeks of the season, he suffered a serious calf injury which ended up ruling him out for the remainder of the campaign.
He featured in both legs of the Europa League qualifying defeat to Porgres Niederkorn at the start of the following season, while also playing 90 minutes against Dunfermline in the League Cup and a brief cameo in the top flight, but he suffered yet another calf injury, returning to score in a 5-5 draw during the final game of the season.
With Steven Gerrard taking over in May 2018, it looked like Rossiter might finally become a key part of the squad if he could remain injury free, yet he made just five appearances during the first half of the season.
It was evident his time was up at Rangers, as he spent time on loan at Bury and Fleetwood Town between January 2019 and May 2020, joining the latter permanently in the summer of 2020.
Rossiter’s injuries clearly hampered any progress he was looking to make at the Light Blues and his career is currently fizzling out in League One.
Jordan Rossiter’s current market value
According to Transfermarkt, the former Liverpool starlet is now worth just €150k (£125k) at the time of writing.
The good news for the player is that he has finally gotten over his serious injury issues, being able to play on a regular basis in the third tier now.
After a spell at Bristol Rovers, Rossiter moved to Shrewsbury Town in the summer, making two appearances this season already for the club.
It once looked like the player had the world at his feet. Scoring on his Liverpool debut perhaps generated more pressure on him to succeed, and he couldn’t break into the first-team squad under Klopp.
Warburton looked like he was getting a bargain by snapping up the youngster eight years ago, and if he remained fit, there was no doubt about how important he could have been for the club.
Alas, it simply wasn’t to be for Rossiter. Aged only 27, he still has a few years left in the game, but is League One his level? It certainly appears so.