Over the previous few weeks, it looked as though Glasgow Rangers had rediscovered their mojo.
This was undone on Boxing Day, however, as the Ibrox side suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat to St Mirren in the Premiership which means they now trail Celtic by 12 points in the league table.
The pressure may have alleviated on Philippe Clement in recent weeks, but this loss certainly ends any hopes of the Light Blues winning the league title. With a clash against Celtic to come next week, a loss could see Clement lose his job.
Several players underperformed against the Buddies, including Nedim Bajrami, who was poor during his time on the pitch.
Nedim Bajrami’s game in numbers vs St Mirren
The Albanian was deployed in his preferred position as a number 10 against St Mirren, but he failed to offer anything meaningful going forward.
The game was crying out for a player of his quality to provide a cutting edge, yet Bajrami managed to make just 11 passes while taking 21 touches of the ball.
Bajrami also failed to win a single duel against the Paisley side, lost possession ten times, failed with his only dribble and didn’t even register a single shot before he was subbed at halftime after a lethargic performance.
Bajrami has often been used on the left flank to good effect since arriving at Ibrox in the summer, but if he wishes to play as an attacking midfielder, he will have to offer much more than what he did against St Mirren.
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
21
Completed passes
11
Key passes
0
Dribble attempts (successful)
1 (0)
It wasn’t just the former Sassuolo man who was disappointing, as Hamza Igamane delivered yet another poor performance.
Hamza Igamane's display vs St Mirren
The Moroccan striker has been a breath of fresh air recently, offering something different to Clement’s attack, which has seen him score against the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Nice in Europe.
Clement unleashed him against St Mirren, but he couldn’t replicate his recent performances as the striker lost 11 of his 13 contested duels, lost the ball 12 times and even missed a big chance.
Igamane did register three shots and attempted four dribbles, yet he could only find the target once, while succeeding with just one dribble, showing a lack of composure in the final third.
Of course, he is still maturing and the more games he plays, the better Igamane will get. It is all fine and well performing in Europe, but trips to Paisley, for example, are where league titles can be lost.
This was the case on Boxing Day, as the defeat to Stephen Robinson’s men made winning the league title an almost impossible task, with Igamane perhaps among those who should make way next time out.
A clash against Motherwell on Sunday represents a chance for the Light Blues to bounce back to winning ways. Another loss, just four days before an Old Firm tie, could signal the end of Clement’s reign at Ibrox.
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