Rangers: Van Bronckhorst must unleash Tom Lawrence today

3 minute read 6/8/2022 | 12:11pm

Rangers are back in Premiership action this afternoon with their first home clash of the new campaign.

The Gers fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat in midweek in the first leg of their Champions League third round qualifier, leaving them with a mountain to climb for the return fixture at Ibrox in the coming days.

Prior to that, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side kicked off their domestic campaign last weekend with a 2-1 win away to Livingston.

Now that the 2022 Europa League finalists are back in league action at Ibrox against Kilmarnock, this will give them the chance to put their midweek defeat behind them and secure another win in the league.

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Even though Killie only managed to snatch a last-gasp draw against Dundee United last weekend, Derek McInnes’ team still had 18 attempts at goal, so that they could well cause a few problems for Rangers this afternoon.

In terms of what Van Bronckhorst’s starting XI could look like on this occasion, one man who didn’t start against Union Saint-Gilloise in midweek but who we feel should be in from the beginning to face Kilmarnock today is Tom Lawrence.

Rangers signed the Welshman last month from Derby County and gave him his Premiership debut in their first league game of the season against Livingston.

During that match, the 28-year-old completed 40 of the 44 passes that he attempted, also having three shots at goal and making five tackles in total, ultimately earning himself a solid match rating of 7/10 from SofaScore.

Would you like to see Lawrence start today?

This shows how useful he can be in terms of being both an attacking threat and a solid defensive figure, which is why the Light Blues could have had a better chance at securing a win in midweek if he had started.

In terms of who the Wales international could replace in the team, with Rabbi Matondo – who Lawrence replaced in midweek – being described as looking “well off the pace” by journalist Andrew Newport after the 2-0 defeat, this could make it a simple decision for Van Bronckhorst to make.

Hailed as a “fabulous talent” in the past by his former manager Gary Bowyer, the Welshman certainly has the talent and work-rate in him to terrify today’s opponents and cause them plenty of problems, which is why the Rangers boss should have no doubts over putting him back in the starting XI.