Glasgow Rangers face a different sort of challenge this evening as Philippe Clement takes charge of the Ibrox side for the first time in European competition.
A trip to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague will prove to be a slightly more difficult task than what Hibernian offered at Ibrox on the weekend, as the Easter Road outfit slumped to a 4-0 defeat.
The early signs certainly look positive from the Belgian and another win this evening will buy him more credit with the supporters as a new era in Glasgow has well and truly begun.
The 49-year-old could perhaps likely make some changes from the starting XI that took on Hibs just a few days ago and rotation will be key to keep the players fresh.
What is the Rangers team news vs Sparta Prague?
One problem the former Club Brugge boss has is who will start at left-back. Borna Barisic was substituted off during the early stages of the Hibs clash with what appeared to be a thigh problem, and he was replaced by Ridvan Yilmaz.
Due to Michael Beale’s incompetence, Yilmaz is not included in the Europa League squad, leaving the Gers extremely light in this area and this could prompt Clement into a reshuffle at the back.
He could perhaps slot Ben Davies into the left side of defence, and this will probably be the logical thing to do ahead of the vital tie.
There could also be changes to the attacking setup and despite Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers enjoying solid performances against Hibs, will Clement start the duo or give opportunities to others who are keen to shine?
How has Sam Lammers performed for Rangers this season?
Although positive on the weekend, Lammers has failed to really convince the Ibrox faithful that his £3m transfer fee is fully justified.
Since joining from Atalanta in the summer under Beale, the Dutchman has found the back of the net only once across 17 matches, yet this was to be expected considering the forward scored just six goals since the beginning of the 2020/21 season.
This isn’t due to a lack of trying as the forward currently ranks first for shots per game (3.2) across the whole squad in the Premiership, yet he ranks seventh for goals and assists (two) and third for big chances missed (three) during the opening nine games of the season.
This form suggests he has yet to make the desired impact at the Glasgow side and Sparta Prague will prove to be a much more difficult opponent to break down compared to Hibs, giving Clement the licence to ditch Lammers.
The question is, who could replace him in the starting XI? With Todd Cantwell returning from injury on the weekend, he could be ready for his first start since the Old Firm clash against Celtic at the start of September.
Could Todd Cantwell start against Sparta Prague?
After missing five matches due to a knee injury suffered against Celtic, Cantwell made his return on Saturday and his 32-minute cameo was an effective one.
The midfielder replaced Scott Wright with just over half an hour left and he not only grabbed an assist, but also made two key passes, took one shot on target, and completed 88% of his attempted passes.
2-1 win vs Servette
2-0 win vs Sparta Prague
2-0 win vs FC Shkupi
1-0 win vs Progres Niederkorn
1-0 defeat to Malmö
It was a profitable return for the former Norwich City gem, and it may have opened a door for him to be unleashed from the first whistle against the Czech side.
How much did Todd Cantwell cost Rangers?
During Beale’s first transfer window in charge of the Light Blues, he managed to secure the signing of Cantwell from Norwich City for a fee believed to be around £1.5m and despite suffering a poor start to the season with the East Anglian side, it has proved to be a bargain so far for the Gers.
Gary Cockaday, his former youth coach, hailed him previously when discussing his talents as he made his way through to the first team at Norwich, saying: “At one point, two of them had Todd up against the line and you could see them thinking, ‘Gotcha!’
“Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.
“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”
His first few months at Ibrox were a major success as he finished the 2022/23 season having scored six times while registering five assists and his displays were one of the few bright sparks in a relatively poor season for the club.
The 25-year-old has yet to score so far this term, but this could be down to Beale’s lack of a proper tactical system rather than Cantwell’s ability suddenly diminishing.
Indeed, across the squad for his league displays, he currently ranks fifth for shots per game (1.8) along with ranking in the top five for interceptions per game (1.2) and while he has yet to hit the heights of last term, he could thrive under Clement.
A tie against Sparta will provide a perfect challenge for Cantwell, and he could certainly stake a claim to be a regular starter by putting on a solid performance.
Lammers has looked out of sorts since arriving in Scotland and although the Hibs tie indicated he could still have some sort of role under the Belgian, a European tie represents an ideal chance for him to rest a few players.
Cantwell may not be fit enough to last the full 90 minutes, yet his inclusion from the start could only benefit the Gers as they go chasing their second group stage win of the current season.