How Hamza Igamane embarrassed Nedim Bajrami on biggest Rangers stage - opinion
01/25/2025 10:00 AM
Philippe Clement had to put a few square pegs into round holes against Man Utd and would have been frustrated that his patchwork Rangers side couldn't quite hold on for a draw.
As with much of the season, one of the issues was a lack of quality in terms of depth throughout the squad with the manager turning to the impressive Bailey Rice and Findlay Curtis with Kieran Dowell's days at the club looking numbered.
There is a core of talented players who the manager knows he can rely on with Hamza Igamane showing up one senior Rangers colleague in particular.
Hamza Igamane shows Rangers teammate up vs Man Utd
With the absence of Ianis Hagi, Mohamed Diomande and Danilo, a lot was resting on the shoulders of Nedim Bajrami to get his team up the pitch and to support Igamane.
The Albanian international was also tasked with keeping the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen quiet when they dropped deeper for the ball too.
Unfortunately, he did neither and many would have forgotten that he was on the pitch when he was replaced by Cyriel Dessers.
The argument that Rangers only had 35% possession, or he was up against high quality opponents didn't stand up for long when Igamane – out of position – made more of an impact in the last 20 minutes than Bajrami had done for the previous 70.
The 22-year old demanded the ball, imposed himself physically, held the ball up and linked play between the midfield and the attack – everything Bajrami should have been doing.
A player in his first season at this level shouldn’t be making more key passes and influencing games more than an international who has played in a major tournament.
Players can take time to settle, but the 26-year old is fast becoming a luxury that Rangers can't afford to have drifting during games and on the fringes when he is needed most and fans weren’t happy with Bajrami at Old Trafford.
Every player is different, but after recovering from injury when he first arrived, Igamane is proving that money spent doesn't always equate to quality.
What has Igamane said about adapting to life at Rangers?
Linked with a big money transfer already, Igamane is loving life at Ibrox:
“It was a great derby and in such matches you can feel the passion and enthusiasm of the fans.
“There is a strong rivalry between the two clubs and when you are there, you recognise the enormous will to win on the pitch.
“As for the atmosphere in the stands, it was great for me personally, I enjoyed the match a lot. It felt like I belonged there.
“Rangers are a club with a long history and thank God, I have started my first adventure at a club in Europe well. Adapting has not been easy.
“I have been able to score many goals despite the difference between Morocco and Scotland, but that is part of the life of a footballer.
“The climate in particular is very different. Now it is up to me to do even better.
“I am proud of my background and proud that I used to wear the jersey of RAS Fabat – the army club and one of oldest Moroccan clubs.
“The Moroccan league is seeing continuous development despite some challenges, especially in terms of infrastructure and organisation, but it is one of the best leagues in Africa.”
