Rangers were looking to secure progression from their Europa League group on Thursday evening, yet a 1-1 stalemate against Aris Limassol leaves their hopes in the balance.
Continental football is guaranteed, whether it is the Europa or Conference League, but the preference would be to progress to the knockout stages of the second tier competition.
To do this, however, the Light Blues need to beat Spanish side Real Betis away from home and if they fail to achieve that feat, Philippe Clement will need to hope Aris do them a favour and secure all three points against Sparta Prague.
Truth be told, Clement chose the wrong starting lineup and the players on the field failed to impress against the Cypriot side.
Rangers underperformed vs Aris Limassol
Knowing beforehand that Betis had slipped against Sparta, the Gers knew how important a win could be at a packed Ibrox, yet the opening 30 minutes was a nervy affair, capped off by a goal from the away side.
Having conceded from a long ball over the top during the draw against Aberdeen last weekend, the same thing happened, and these rookie errors must be cut out, otherwise they could slip further behind Celtic in the title race.
The Glasgow side dominated possession while also having five shots on target during the tie, yet it took until after half-time for them to score an equaliser.
Ross McCausland, who replaced Todd Cantwell during the first half, scored his first goal for the Gers and it should have sparked them into life, but the two clubs ended up sharing the points.
It was an ideal chance for Ibrox side to gain revenge for their loss to the same opposition back in October, but they now face a daunting task in Spain.
There were far too many passengers during the encounter, as Cantwell and Sam Lammers lacked any sort of attacking threat. There were problems in the heart of the midfield too, however, as Jose Cifuentes looked like a lost puppy at times.
Jose Cifuentes’ game in numbers vs Aris Limassol
The Ecuadorian started just his second match during the group stages and following an indifferent start to life at Rangers, this was a chance for him to lay down a marker and stamp his authority in the midfield.
Unfortunately, his performance was largely uninspiring. The 24-year-old did make one key pass and showed eagerness to get on the ball by taking 67 touches during the match, yet he failed to do much with it.
With Clement looking for some stability at the heart of the midfield, Cifuentes failed to provide it as he struggled during one on one encounters, winning just three out of his 11 total duels contested, and he was dribbled past once along with committing two fouls.
The former Los Angeles FC gem even managed to lose possession on 12 occasions and this did nothing to aid the club as they looked to secure all three points.
Upon signing in the summer, the South American looked as though he could elevate the midfield, but it hasn’t quite come off as yet.
Journalist Robin Bairner was quick to criticise the summer transfer business following another inept performance, saying: “Rangers summer transfer business looks the worst in Europe.
“Dessers, Lammers and Cifuentes are junk. Danilo's not been great either.”
Make no mistake, the player is still currently in the embryonic stages of his career at the club, yet as the season moves on, he will need to show much more in order to enjoy a long and successful stay at Ibrox.
With a tie against St Mirren in the league approaching, Clement may decide to slot someone else into the midfield role alongside John Lundstram.
The players who could replace Jose Cifuentes
The most obvious choice is Nico Raskin. The Belgian midfielder has missed several games this season due to injury, and he hasn’t featured for the Gers since the 2-1 win against Hearts at the end of October.
He was substituted after suffering an ankle injury against the Jambos and Clement will be hoping the youngster is back fully fit sooner rather than later.
When he does play, his defensive acumen is crucial in the middle of the pitch and he currently ranks first in the squad for tackles per game (2.8) in the league, while he is dribbled past just 0.6 times per game and averages 5.4 total duels won per game – a success rate of 57% – and he should be restored to the starting XI when he is injury free.
Another option, certainly in the short term, to replace Cifuentes is Ryan Jack. The Scot is currently into the final year of his contract and has been at the Gers since 2017, winning the Premiership and Scottish Cup during that time.
0
1
1
1
0
1
40.4
27.4
44.1
0.7
0.5
1.1
1
0.1
2.8
The midfielder has played 16 times for the Light Blues this season, scoring twice in the process, and while he needs to be managed better than some other players due to his injury record, his performances have been solid this term.
Jack has succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts in the league during 2023/24 along with losing possession just 4.9 times on average, the best figure across players who have started four or more times in the squad.
A slightly left-field call, but youngster Bailey Rice could perhaps be given more senior minutes as he looks to establish himself among the squad.
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The 17-year-old has already made three appearances for the club and, alongside the likes of Ross McCausland and Zak Lovelace, he could be an integral part of the side in the near future.
Clement might not take the gamble on risking a young starlet when the pressure is on, but he could just surprise a few people – the teen isn't going to get any better by warming the bench and watching certain summer signings continue to underwhelm.
Cifuentes will need to buck up his ideas in the coming weeks, especially if he wishes to lead the Gers to success. If he doesn’t, there are a few options that could replace him.