Glasgow Rangers played their last game at Ibrox for the 2023/24 campaign and ran out emphatic 5-2 winners on Tuesday night against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.
It was not an entirely comfortable evening for the Gers, however, as they found themselves 2-0 down to the away side within the first 40 minutes.
Ross McCausland scored, prodding the ball into the back of the net after a defensive mistake, just before the break to send the Light Blues in with a chance of recovering the situation in the second 45.
A header from Cyriel Dessers, a stunning finish into the top corner from a direct Todd Cantwell cross, and two goals from Scott Wright late in the game ensured that the hosts came away with all three points on the night.
Philippe Clement was without a staggering 11 players for the match; including John Souttar, Abdallah Sima, Bailey Rice, Rabbi Matondo, Leon Balogun, John Lundstram, Connor Goldson, Dujon Sterling, Danilo, Oscar Cortes, and Tom Lawrence.
The remaining players stepped up to the plate, though, and one player has just proven that the club can now live without keeping Lundstram.
The latest on John Lundstram's future
The English maestro is out of contract at the end of May and is currently poised to walk out of Ibrox on a free transfer ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
It had been claimed that the club were locked in talks with the former Sheffield United star to extend his stay in Glasgow, but he has yet to put pen to paper on a new deal at this moment in time.
There is now interest from elsewhere that could see him decide to take the plunge and depart the Scottish giants for nothing this summer, to go and explore other opportunities elsewhere.
It was recently reported by the print edition Scottish Daily Mail, via Ibrox News, that Turkish side Trabzonspor are interested in a deal to sign the central midfielder at the end of the season to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
The Scottish Sun have also reported that newly-promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town are also eyeing up a late swoop to land the Englishman on a free transfer from Rangers.
That report revealed that Lundstram, who was sent off against Celtic last weekend, has been in talks with Trabzonspor over a move to the Super Lig for the 2024/25 campaign, with the Tractor Boys seemingly hoping to provide competition for his signature.
Instead of battling to keep hold of the midfielder, Clement and Rangers must axe him for good by allowing his contract to run down this summer. This would free up a space in midfield for Nicolas Raskin to emerge as a key player for the club moving forward.
The Belgian talent is a promising young dynamo who caught the eye with an impressive display alongside Mohammed Diomande in Lundstram's position against Dundee on Tuesday night.
Nicolas Raskin's performance against Dundee in numbers
A red card for the English dud against Celtic, for a poor challenge on Alistair Johnston in the first half, meant that there was a space to be filled in the middle of the park next to Diomande as part of the double pivot.
Raskin has endured a difficult season as he has battled two injuries, one that kept him out for seven matches and another that left him on the sidelines for 15 games, and this has disrupted his progress at Ibrox.
When fit, however, the 23-year-old whiz is an excellent talent and proved that with his impressive display against Dundee in Glasgow on Tuesday night.
Minutes played
90
82
Touches
77
47
Key passes
2
2
Duels won
4/7
2/3
Tackles won
3
1
As you can see in the table above, Raskin was the standout in the middle of the park for the Scottish giants as he had far more touches of the ball, competed in and won more duels, and won more tackles than his midfield partner.
The former Standard Liege star was awarded a player rating of 8/10 for his performance by Glasgow World writer Lewis Anderson, who cited his 'tenacious' play out of possession and his ability to spark attacks on the ball.
Raskin set the tempo for Rangers with his progressive passing from deep, often looking to find Dessers between the lines to start attacks, rather than playing the safe and simple passes that do not amount to anything.
He also won three of his four duels on the ground and this shows that the Belgian star has the physical attributes and positioning to dominate opposition players in 50/50 contests.
Why Clement must now axe Lundstram for good
The Belgian boss can axe Lundstram for good now as Raskin's exceptional performance this week has given him the perfect excuse to tell the club that they can afford to let the midfielder move on this summer.
He can be instantly replaced by handing the former Pro League starlet a leading role in midfield from next season onwards, as the talented gem has the potential to be an upgrade for the Scottish giants.
Appearances
34
17
Goals
0
1
Tackles per game
1.7
2
Dribbled past per game
1
0.8
Ground duel success rate
49%
51%
Aerial duel success rate
55%
59%
Possession lost per game
11
8.1
Dribble success rate
39%
57%
As you can see in the table above, Raskin has outperformed Lundstram with his work out of possession throughout the 2023/24 Premiership season this term.
The young ace has won a higher percentage of his duels on the deck and in the air, has been dribbled past less often, and won more tackles per game.
This means that opposition players find far less joy when they play against the Belgian star than they do against Lundstram in the Premiership, which suggests that Rangers could further improve their defensive work if they ditch the Englishman and make Raskin a key player.
The former Liege whiz, however, would need to work on his creative quality as his 0.8 key passes per game is inferior to the out-of-contract star's 1.5 per game.
Cantwell and 8/10 Rangers star have just made themselves undroppable
The Light Blues forward enjoyed a fantastic evening against Dundee on Tuesday night.
ByDan Emery
He has plenty of time, though, at the age of 23, to improve and develop in that respect. The talented maestro is seven years younger than Lundstram and time is on his side to grow over the coming years.
Raskin is already an upgrade on the Englishman with his work off the ball and his excellent performance on Tuesday has now given the manager the perfect excuse to axe Lundstram for good this summer.