Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rolle has been a breath of fresh air after the club decided to bring him on as the long-term successor to Russell Martin at Ibrox.
The German manager, who left Sheffield on Wednesday in the summer, won all three Scottish Premiership games after leading the Light Blues to victory in one of their eight Scottish Premiership games before taking over.
Rangers faced Dundee in the Premiership at Dens Park on Sunday in their last game before the international break, winning 3-0 with two players scoring their first league goals for the club.
Mikey Moore, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, put them ahead with a goal from the edge of the box into the bottom left corner, before Jaydee Gassama scored a stunning goal from distance in the second half.
It must be frustrating for the club that it took until the 11th game of the season for their first-choice wing pair to score their first league goals of the season.
Moore and Gassama need to add more consistency to their play in the final third to begin to make up for the productivity lost with the departure of Václav Cerny in the summer.
What has Vaclav Cerny been doing since leaving Rangers?
The Czech international spent the 2024/25 season on loan from Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga to the Scottish giants, where he attracted attention with his impressive performances on the right wing.
According to Transfermarkt, during his time with the Light Blues, the left-footed attacker contributed 18 goals and nine assists in all competitions, showing that he provided a consistent threat in the final third.
According to Transfermarkt, 12 of those goals and four assists came in the Premiership, meaning both Moore and Gassama have a long way to go if they want to match their goal output this season.
After his loan period ended, the 28-year-old forward signed for Turkish giants Besiktas for a transfer fee of around £6 million, although Rangers were unwilling or unable to sign him permanently.
The former Light Blues star has enjoyed great success on loan at Ibrox since moving permanently to Turkey, and has showcased his attacking prowess in Super League.
25/26 Super Rig | Václav Cerny |
|---|---|
Appearance | 8 |
xG | 1.69 |
the goal | 1 |
Key paths per game | 1.6 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 3 |
assist | 4 |
Statistics by Sofascore | |
As you can see from the table above, Černý has contributed five goals in Besiktas’ eight league games so far, averaging one assist every other game.
These statistics suggest the Light Blues made a mistake by not bringing the Turkish star back to Ibrox on a permanent deal in the summer, while the club’s current range of options suggests a slow start to the 2025-26 season.
Gassama and Moore will need to improve their performances and deliver more goals and assists in the coming months to prove that the Gers were right in not signing the Czech international.
While Gassama and Moore are looking to emulate Černý’s success in the final third, there is another Rangers star who is fast becoming this season’s version of the former Wolfsburg player, but he is not a winger.
Rangers star to become Ibrox’s new Václav Cerny
The Light Blues rushed to sign Derek Cornelius on loan from Marseille in the summer transfer window and he has been a great addition to the squad so far.
Like Cerny, the left-footed star is on loan at Ibrox and has shone in Scottish football. He has been particularly impressive since Rohr came into the dugout to replace Martin, proving his worth in the heart of the defense.
Despite being a centre-back, Cornelius, who was branded a ‘monster’ by international team-mate Richie Larriea, has scored as many goals in the Light Blues’ Premiership as Gassama and Moore, with one league goal.
The Canadian players were also very impressive defensively. According to WhoScored, he ranks first among the team’s central defenders in tackles per game (2.1) and clearances per game (6.3), which speaks to how aggressive his defense is and how impressive his defensive positioning is.
In addition, Cornelius has won 67% of his ground battles and 61% of his aerial battles in the Premiership so far this season, according to SofaScore, showing he is incredibly dominant in physical battles with opposition forwards on the deck and in the air.
vs dandy | derek cornelius |
|---|---|
minutes | 82 |
tackle win | 3/3 |
clearance | 6 |
Number of balls collected | 4 |
Won a ground duel | 3/3 |
won an aerial battle | 4/4 |
dribbled past | 0x |
Pass accuracy | 93% |
Statistics by Sofascore | |
As you can see from the table above, the left-footed centre-back was virtually perfect defensively in his last game before the suspension, a 3-0 win over Dundee on Sunday, winning 100% of his duels and not being dribbled through once.
Cornelius started all three league games under Rohr, with the Rangers winning three and conceding one goal, and winning 13 of 20 ground duels in those games, according to SofaScore.
These statistics suggest that he is on track to become the club’s new version of Cerny, as he is a loanee at Ibrox and has already played a very important role in the team with his excellent performances.
But unlike Cerny, the Rangers confirmed he has the option to sign a permanent contract with the Canadian giants for an undisclosed amount at the end of the season. This means they can sign him permanently without having to negotiate a new contract with Marseille next summer.
On current form, the Jay family must already be thinking about exercising their option to sign him permanently next year to avoid a repeat of the situation where they watch with envy as Cerny shines elsewhere.
