Glasgow Rangers return to action on the European stage this evening as they prepare to welcome Spanish side Athletic Bilbao to Ibrox in the Europa League.
The Light Blues are looking to take an advantage over to Spain for the second leg next Thursday, as they aim to book a place in the semi-finals of the competition.
Barry Ferguson is hoping to be the first manager since Giovanni van Bronckhorst, in the 2021/22 campaign, to lead the Gers to a European final this season.
The Scottish boss has already won a knockout tie in Europe during his short tenure as the interim head coach, beating Fenerbache on penalties.
Multiple Rangers players got big moves off the back of the Europa League run under van Bronckhorst, which ended in a defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties in the final, and one of those stars was versatile defender Calvin Bassey.
Why Calvin Bassey was important for Rangers in Europe
The Nigeria international, who currently plays for Fulham in the Premier League, made 65 appearances in two seasons with the Scottish giants, but his best form came in the 2021/22 campaign under the Dutch head coach.
50 of his appearances came in that second season and he started 24 matches as a centre-back and 23 games as a left-back, showcasing his impressive versatility across the backline.
The left-footed star’s versatility allowed for plenty of tactical flexibility for van Bronckhorst, as he could step forward from centre-back to start attacks – due to being used to playing as a left-back – and he could sit deep and tuck in from left-back to provide extra cover for the two centre-backs when needed – due to being used to playing as a central defender.
His out-and-out defending as a left-back made him an important cog in the Europa League run, because of the defensive insurance he could provide on the left flank in comparison to a natural left-back who is not used to playing at centre-back.
Appearances (starts)
14 (12)
Big chances created
2
Assists
0
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.0
Clearances per game
1.6
Dribbled past per game
0.2x
Duel success rate
60%
As you can see in the table above, Bassey did not offer a great deal of threat as an attacking force from left-back, but was a rock defensively, winning the majority of his duels and rarely being dribbled past by opposition forwards.
These statistics show why having a centre-back who can play at left-back was so important for van Bronckhorst in Europe, because it added another layer of defensive strength to the backline.
It also allowed James Tavernier to push even further up – recording seven goals and two assists in Europe that term – to make an impact in the final third, because it meant that Rangers then had Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun or John Lundstram, and Bassey essentially forming a back three out of possession to defend against transitions.
Bassey also played as a traditional centre-back during that run, with Borna Barisic to his left, which showed that van Bronckhorst trusted him in both positions.
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His performances for Rangers that season led to interest from elsewhere and a £19.6m transfer to Dutch giants Ajax in the summer transfer window, which was a significant profit on the £230k that they had paid Leicester City for his services.
Ferguson could, now, unearth his own version of Bassey during the current Europa League run by boldly unleashing Clinton Nsiala for his European debut against Athletic Bilbao this evening.
Why Rangers should unleash Clinton Nsiala
The Spanish side offer a huge threat on the flanks with the Williams brothers, Inaki and Nico, and that was evident in their 3-1 win over Roma in the second leg of their last 16 tie, as Nico scored twice.
Inaki Williams typically plays on the right flank, up against a left-back, and has produced five goals, five ‘big chances’ created, and one assist in nine starts in the Europa League this term.
Nico Williams, meanwhile, usually lines up on the left and has scored four goals, created two ‘big chances’, and recorded two assists in his nine starts.
This suggests that the 30-year-old, elder, brother could be the biggest threat for Rangers to deal with, rather than the 22-year-old European Championship-winning Spain international.
Therefore, Ferguson must boldly unleash Nsiala in a hybrid left-back role that would see him form a back three with John Souttar and Dujon Sterling in possession, allowing Tavernier to push on from right-back.
The French defender, who was described as “tall and powerful” by scout Ruairi Criscuolo, is a centre-back by trade but has played at left-back earlier in his career, which suggests that he could follow in Bassey’s footsteps by offering versatility in both positions for the Light Blues.
His natural centre-back qualities could help him to deal with the threat of Inaki Williams, who has been on fire in the Europa League, as a left-back.
Nsiala has yet to make an appearance in Europe but was on the bench for the games against Fenerbahce last month, and has had some experience in the Premiership in recent months – playing as a centre-back.
Appearances
9
Starts
8
Pass accuracy
90%
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.0
Dribbled past per game
0.4x
Ground duel success rate
52%
Aerial duel success rate
50%
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old defender has held his own in physical duels and made more defensive interventions than times dribbled past in the top-flight.
He has also provided a reliable presence in possession of the ball, completing 90% of his attempted passes, which suggests that Ferguson can rely on him to be solid on the ball at left-back.
The Rangers boss must, now, boldly bring Nsiala into the team, in place of natural left-back Jefte, to make a tactical tweak to the system in order to defend against the Williams brothers in transition with three centre-backs, without sacrificing any of the midfielders or attackers.
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Nsiala could, then, become the next version of Bassey at Ibrox if he can prove his quality at both left-back and centre-back for the Gers on the European stage.