Summary
Glasgow Rangers have the opportunity to conclude their season in a grand manner as they prepare to travel from Ibrox to Hampden Park for the SFA Cup final on Saturday.
The Light Blues secured the League Cup earlier this season, immediately following Philippe Clement’s arrival in Glasgow.
They now have the chance to sweep the domestic cup competitions in Scotland.
They were unable to secure the Scottish Premiership title, as they concluded in second place behind their closest competitors.
However, they can avenge their loss by defeating Celtic and securing the SFA Cup trophy on Saturday.
The Gers are entering this game following a 3-3 tie with Hearts in the Premiership on the final day of the season last weekend.
The Jam Tarts scored an equalizer in stoppage time.
Clement has the opportunity to make a few adjustments to his starting XI from that draw in order to maximize his team’s chances of winning another trophy this weekend.
With that in mind, here is FFC’s predicted Rangers lineup to take to the field at Hampden Park for this cup final clash with the Hoops…
1 Jack Butland
Jack Butland should be chosen to perform in the first position between the sticks, as he has been the manager’s preferred shot-stopper thus far in the season.
The former England international, who was signed on a free transfer from Crystal Palace last summer, maintained 18 clean sheets in 38 Premiership appearances for the Gers.
2 James Tavernier
James Tavernier, the captain, should maintain his position as the right-back.
In the League Cup final at Hampden Park earlier this term, the English genius demonstrated his ability to rise to the occasion.
Tavernier secured the trophy for the Light Blues by scoring the sole goal of the game against Aberdeen in the final.
The former Newcastle United prospect may anticipate similar success this weekend.
3 Leon Balogun
The initial alteration to the starting lineup may occur in the backline, as Leon King may be abruptly demoted to the bench to allow Leon Balogun to return.
Sean Fisher of Football Insider assigned King a player rating of 4/10 for his performance against Hearts.
Lawrence Shankland had considerable success against him, and FFC published an article that encouraged Clement to mercilessly remove him from the starting lineup for the cup final.
An experienced operator, Balogun was once hailed as a “tremendous” player by ex-Rangers man Alex Rae.
He played the entire 90 minutes against Aberdeen in the League Cup final earlier this season, keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win.
Consequently, the manager should immediately utilize the Nigerian titan, who has won 68% of his duels in the Premiership, to organize the backline.
4 Ben Davies
Ben Davies could maintain his place in the starting lineup on the left side of the center-back pairing to provide a naturally left-footed equilibrium to that side of the pitch.
The former Liverpool player may be the sole experienced option available to accompany Balogun, as both John Souttar and Connor Goldson were excluded from the matchday squad against Hearts.
5. Borna Barisic
Borna Barisic may replace Robbie Fraser as the left-back in the starting lineup, marking the second alteration to the starting lineup.
The Croatian international is the sole experienced option in this position, as Ridvan Yilmaz is a significant doubt for the encounter due to an injury that he sustained this week while visiting Clement.
Fraser has only appeared in two Premiership matches this season, with one of them being a start.
It would be risky to include him from the outset in a cup final, which would allow the seasoned Barisic to take his place.
6 Mohammed Diomande
Mohammed Diomande should resume his position at the root of the midfield and endeavor to infuse the midfield with energy in order to contend with players such as Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate.
The 22-year-old star demonstrated his ability to compete in physical contests in Scottish football by winning 53% of his duels in the Premiership.
7 Nicolas Raskin
After his impressive performance against Hearts, in which he won 12 duels and completed seven tackles, Nicolas Raskin could be trusted to contend in midfield alongside Diomande.
The Belgian battler has the potential to impede Celtic’s players from dominating the middle of the pitch at Hampden by utilizing his workrate and tenacity.
8 Ross McCausland
Academy alumnus Following a remarkable run of form for the Scottish titans in recent weeks, Ross McCausland should be deployed on the right side of the attack.
In his last four matches, he has scored two goals and provided two assists.
The Northern Ireland international provides direct running and acceleration down the right flank, which could assist in pushing Greg Taylor back to reduce his future impact.
9Todd Cantwell
Todd Cantwell’s recent performance in the number ten position indicates that he is the most suitable candidate to be selected in this role for the upcoming cup final match.
In his most recent two appearances for the Light Blues, the English attacking midfielder has contributed two goals and one assist.
He will be striving to make a significant impact against Celtic.
10 Abdallah Sima
The third alteration to the starting XI may occur on the left flank, as Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Abdallah Sima may be selected over Scott Wright.
Wright should not be relied upon to make an impact against Celtic at the top end of the field, as he concluded the Premiership season with two goals, both of which were scored in a recent 5-2 victory over Dundee, and zero assists in 23 games.
Sima, who scored 11 goals and provided two assists in 17 league starts, should replace him in the starting lineup after returning from injury and starting off the bench against Hearts.
11 Cyriel Dessers
Lastly, Rangers will once again rely on Cyriel Dessers to lead the line, as Danilo is currently unavailable due to injury.
It is anticipated that Dessers will emerge as the hero at Hampden.
The Nigerian striker concluded the Premiership campaign with 16 goals and a staggering 26 ‘big chances’ wasted for the Light Blues.
This underscores the potential cost to the Gers of his inefficiency if they fail to generate sufficient opportunities for him to score.