Glasgow Rangers dropped points in their Premiership opener over the weekend following an uninspiring away performance.
Sound familiar? The Light Blues may be a point better off than at the same stage last season, but the side looked flat throughout the first half, with the same problems that plagued the team towards the end of last term persisting.
James Tavernier looked a shadow of his former self, Cyriel Dessers missed yet more big chances when it was easier to score and Scott Wright offered absolutely nothing from the right flank during his time on the pitch.
Before the transfer window slams shut in a few weeks, Philippe Clement must add another one or two players to his attacking options, otherwise Celtic will run away with the league title.
Opponent
Date
Dynamo Kiev (Champions League)
August 6
Motherwell (Premiership)
August 10
Dynamo Kiev (Champions League)
August 13
St Johnstone (Premier Sports Cup)
August 17
Ross County (Premiership)
August 24
Via Sky Sports
Could a Championship starlet be top of the list for the Belgian?
Rangers still in the hunt for Championship winger
According to Football Insider, Rangers are still chasing a deal to sign Plymouth Argyle winger Morgan Whittaker this summer in a bid to improve their squad.
The Ibrox side had a bid for the youngster rejected back in January as they sought reinforcements ahead of the second half of the season. Could this summer be different?
Premier League clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford are also keen on Whittaker, but surely the lure of European football and the chance to win trophies will be a big incentive for the current Plymouth sensation?
Wayne Rooney won't want to lose one of his prized assets, especially as he practically kept the Pilgrims in the second tier with his displays last term, but every man has their price and he would be a great replacement for the aforementioned Wright.
Wright is certainly not the answer to the Light Blues' attacking issues, especially with his dismal record in front of goal.
His performance against the Tynecastle side on Saturday should be the last time he starts for Clement.
Scott Wright’s game in numbers vs Hearts
Credit where credit is due, Wright somehow manages to avoid the cull following the end of every season, despite clearly not being of the required quality to take the Ibrox side to the next level.
The winger lasted just 60 minutes on the pitch before being brought off for new signing Vaclav Cerny, yet he failed to offer any positivity going forwards.
Indeed, Wright failed to deliver an accurate cross from three deliveries, failed with his single dribble attempt, made zero key passes and took just shot which was blocked.
Minutes played
60
Touches
29
Accurate passes
9/12 (75%)
Key passes
0
Crosses
0/3
Shots
1
Dribble attempts
0/1
Duels won
2/7
Possession lost
10x
Furthermore, he also lost possession ten times, won only two of his seven attempted duels and was dribbled past once in what was a severely underwhelming performance.
Glasgow World journalist Lewis Anderson gave the Scotsman a match rating of just 4/10, stating that he ‘didn’t have much impact at all’ and this tells the full story of how woeful he was in the final third.
It is now time for him to move on so Clement can add some more quality to that side of the pitch. While Cerny should prove to be a solid signing, Whittaker is miles better than Wright and could offer much more positivity.
Morgan Whittaker’s 2023/24 season in numbers
The £9k-per-week winger was one of the finest players in the Championship last season, scoring 19 goals in the second tier (20 overall), while also chipping in with eight assists in the process.
This ranked him as the fourth most clinical player in the league last term, showing how impressive he was in the final third, something which Clement is desperate to add to his team.
Goals
19
2
Assists
8
0
Big chances created
10
1
Successful dribbles per game
1.2
0.4
Shots on target per game
1.4
0.3
Key passes per game
1.4
0.6
Among his teammates, Whittaker also ranked first for shots on target per game (1.4), big chances created (ten), key passes per game (1.4) and successful dribbles per game (1.2), showcasing his qualities across a range of attacking metrics.
It wasn’t just among his own squad that Whittaker shone, as his statistics when compared to the rest of his peers in the second tier were just as impressive.
Indeed, throughout the 2023/24 campaign, the Englishman ranked in the top 1% for shots on target per 90 (1.45) and in the top 9% for goals and assists per 90 (0.61), which is further evidence of his effectiveness for Plymouth.
A move to Rangers would give him a grander stage to shine on. Becoming an instant upgrade on Wright in the process.
Why Morgan Whittaker would be a good signing for Rangers
Whittaker offers a wonderful threat in the opposition half, scoring plenty of goals while also being able to generate chances galore for his teammates.
His former manager Steve Schumacher hailed the winger upon joining the club on a permanent basis last summer, saying he is "one of the most exciting prospects in the EFL", a statement which was certainly proven correct following his goal-laden campaign.
Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson also heaped plenty of praise on the player amid the links to Ibrox, saying he is “tall, strong, quick & left footed on the right” which is exactly the sort of profile Clement needs on his flanks.
He is almost the exact opposite of Wright, who isn’t the fastest, fails to beat his man and offers nothing in front of goal.
Indeed, since joining the Glasgow side in January 2021, Wright has scored just 12 times in 118 appearances for the club, which works out as a goal every 9.8 matches, a truly dismal figure for a winger.
In his senior career, Whittaker has played only 170 matches, yet during those games, he has scored 41 goals, working out as a goal every 4.1 matches.
You don’t have to be Columbo to work out that the Englishman is a far superior choice to Wright and that Clement should be working his magic in order to lure him north of the border.
It will be tough, especially with Premier League interest, but if the Belgian wishes to add a genuine goal threat on the right flank, Whittaker is his man.
The 0-0 draw against Hearts demonstrated how badly the club need goals injected into the side. The Plymouth Argyle star would be a major coup.
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