Rangers quartet hailed by French press after Nice thrashing, L'Equipe give one star 8/10
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To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Hamza Igamane was the first name on everyone’s lips after Rangers stunned OGC Nice 4-1 in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Philippe Clement was delighted with Rangers’ talisman for the evening, Hamza Igamane not only putting the visitors 4-0 up with a rapid-fire brace but also executing his role as the link-man and the outlet pretty flawlessly.
But, big European wins such as these are very seldom the result of a one-man show, no matter how individually dazzling.
This was a Rangers performance in which every single member of Clement’s starting XI performed to the peak of their powers. Nicolas Raskin and Connor Barron have been outstanding in Europe and were so again at the Allianz Riviera; breaking up play, setting the tempo and pulling the strings.
Robin Propper, not for the first time, saved one of his better Rangers displays for continental competition.
And L’Equipe, usually pretty stingy when it comes to their post-match player ratings, handed Igamane a very rare 8/10. Mohamed Diomande got a seven, meanwhile, after the Ivorian ghosted in behind Pablo Rosario to clip a sublime finish over a bamboozled Marcin Bulka.
Fellow French publication Sport Orange, though, preferred to focus on the man who sublimed an assist for Diomande’s finish.
Rangers duo Dujon Sterling and Hamza Igamane praised by French press
Dujon Sterling appears to have replaced James Tavernier as Clement’s go-to right-back of late.
And while Sterling’s involvement may be the result of his superior defensive talents, the former Chelsea youngster showcased the other side of his game with a delightful pass to set up Diomande shortly after Vaclav Cerny’s deflected, 35th minute opener.
“Positioned at right back, Dujon Sterling did not just hold [his position] solidly in defence,” Sport Orange write. “The English player knew how to move forward to provide solutions for his teammates, which resulted in an assist for Mohamed Diomande’s goal.”
The typically ‘solid’ Jack Butland, making six saves on the night and only beaten by a sublime Badredine Bouanani consolation late on, also earned a few words of praise.
Igamane, meanwhile, could hardly have been more ruthless at the other end of the pitch.
“Two shots, two on target, two goals,” Sport Orange point out. “The Moroccan striker was able to be opportunistic enough to exploit the many errors of the Cote d’Azur defence to score a goal before the return to the locker room.
“A second came shortly after the restart, which pushed Nice further into a one-sided game.”
Philippe Clement wants Rangers to build on Nice thrashing
With three wins from five Europa League fixtures, meanwhile, Rangers are well placed to secure a top-eight berth. A reunion with former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is looming, however, with Tottenham Hotspur heading to Ibrox in mid-December.
Rangers then travel to Manchester United in the New Year, while hosting Union Saint-Gilloise in their final match of the revamped group stage.
“I’m not somebody who starts to calculate [our chances of qualifying] before a group stage and this system is already quite special. So, we didn’t do that in advance,” Clement said as Rangers added Nice to an impressive collection of European scalps.
“I want to create a mentality, a culture in the dressing room, in the club about every game going full for the three points. If the opponent is Dumbarton or Manchester United, there should not be a difference in the way we approach games in our attitude.
“So, in that way, I want in the next games to come also that we fight, that we do everything to get the points against every opponent. And we’re busy with all the new guys to create this culture in the dressing room that they understand what Rangers is about.
“That’s one of my big tasks, to [teach] these young players, this new group.”
