Glasgow Rangers’ failed to really improve their first-team squad during the winter window, as Philippe Clement made just one signing.
Rafael Fernandes arrived on a six-month loan deal, although there is an option to buy inserted into the agreement.
The young centre-back was given his first start against Queen’s Park last weekend in the Scottish Cup clash at Ibrox.
It was the perfect game for Fernandes to get accustomed to life in Glasgow, yet it soon turned into a nightmare.
While he didn’t do anything particularly wrong throughout the game, the 1-0 defeat ranks as the club’s worst defeat in their recent history, perhaps of all time.
In truth, the entire starting XI were way off the required levels during the shock defeat and a massive improvement is needed ahead of the match against Hearts on Sunday afternoon in the Premiership.
One notable disappointment was the performance of Nedim Bajrami, who has stagnated over the previous few months.
Nedim Bajrami has struggled at Rangers of late
The game against the Championship side was expected to give the likes of Bajrami and Ianis Hagi an ideal chance to notch a goal or two, thus bolstering their confidence in what was meant to be a fairly routine victory.
Where Are They Now
Instead, what followed was a dismal performance, especially by the Albanian, who couldn’t find a way through the Queen’s Park defence.
Indeed, he was even subbed off after the first half, proving how dreadful he had been during the opening 45 minutes at Ibrox.
Following the game, journalist Ben Banks of Glasgow World gave Bajrami a match rating of 2/10 while stating that the attacking midfielder was ‘found seriously wanting and not for the first time. Subbed at half-time after no impact’.
After a promising start in Glasgow, the former Sassuolo star hasn’t quite lived up to his £3.4m transfer fee, that’s for sure.
Since the turn of the year, Bajrami has registered just three assists in all competitions for the Light Blues, although two of those came against non-league side Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup.
In 20 Premiership games, the 25-year-old has scored just once, created four big chances, averaged 1.3 key passes and succeeded with 1.2 dribbles per game.
Furthermore, Bajrami can be often found wanting defensively, winning just 2.1 total duels per game in the top flight since he made his debut in September.
His performances drew criticism from Stevie Clifford, founder of popular fan media outlet Four Lads Had a Dream, who said:
“I’ll highlight it again, it’s not singling him out, but Nedim Bajrami is not offering enough at all. We need him to influence games & be involved, largely anonymous so far, again.
“£4m is big money to do it in these type of games & he’s miles off it so far.”
Unless he improves, quickly, Bajrami could find himself on the way out of Rangers after just a solitary season at the club.
Over the years, the Gers have sold players who have shone since leaving. One notable example is Fashion Sakala, who is enjoying life in the Middle East and is even outperforming Bajrami this season.
Fashion Sakala’s Rangers stats
Sakala made the move to Ibrox ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, costing Steven Gerrard nothing as he was secured on a pre-contract agreement.
It took a while for him to settle in Scotland, but over time, he gave the supporters glimpses of what he was capable of.
He featured 50 times during his maiden season, scoring 12 goals and registering seven assists. His unpredictable nature was often an advantage, as the opposition often didn’t quite know how to handle the African star.
Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton lauded the player midway through his first season, saying:
“He’s like a firework, isn’t he? You just light him and watch him go. He’s one of these players who plays at 100 miles per hour, he takes players on, he’s aggressive, he can get shots off.”
His second season didn’t start too well, as he found himself down the pecking order under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who preferred other options.
Under Michael Beale, however, the Zambian demonstrated his true talents. Between December 2022 and May 2023, Sakala netted 11 goals and grabbed seven assists, proving that he could have a solid future at the club under Beale.
That summer, Sakala was surprisingly sold by the manager, joining Saudi outfit Al-Fayha for a fee believed to be around £4m, which represented a decent profit on the player.
Since then, he has been in wonderful form. Might the club regret selling him when they did?
Fashion Sakala's record this season
The 27-year-old recorded 31 goal contributions – 22 goals and nine assists – last season for his new club, shining in his new surroundings as the Light Blues struggled, having to make do with the likes of Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers.
While the 2024/25 campaign hasn’t quite been as productive, he has still scored six times and grabbed four assists, which is two more than what Bajrami has registered during the current season.
Additionally, Sakala has created six big chances domestically, averages 2.8 shots, and 1.3 key passes and succeeds with 2,5 dribbles per match in the Saudi Pro League this season.
These numbers are of course, higher than the figures Bajrami is producing across the same period. Elsewhere, Sakala also wins 4.9 total duels per game in the top flight, which is more impressive than the 2.1 duels Bajrami wins each game.
Metric
Sakala
Bajrami
Goals
6
1
Assists
2
1
Big chances created
6
4
Successful dribbles per game
2.5
1.2
Key passes per game
1.3
1.3
Shots per game
2.8
2
Sakala may have divided opinion at times among the Ibrox faithful, but there was no denying his usefulness in certain games. Perhaps not the most clinical in front of goal, but he always tried to make something happen, and his unpredictable nature made it difficult for defenders to mark him effectively.
Clement could certainly use a player like Sakala right now, especially given how poor Rangers have been in recent weeks.
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