Not just Miovski: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who lost 86% duels

Glasgow Rangers are back in action once again in the Scottish Premiership this evening as they prepare to take on Kilmarnock away from Ibrox.

The Light Blues are looking to finally get back to winning ways after frustrating draws with Falkirk and Dundee United in their last outings in the league under Danny Rohl.

A 98th-minute penalty from Nedim Bajrami salvaged a point against Dundee United, and the Gers head coach may want to make several changes to the team after that disappointing showing, including dropping Bojan Miovski from the side.

Why Bojan Miovski should be dropped

The Macedonia international has been a regular starter in the Premiership, starting nine of his 11 appearances in the league (Sofascore), and led the line on Wednesday night.

Miovski lost three of his five ground duels and four of his five aerial duels, per Sofascore, against Dundee United, whilst he also missed his only ‘big chance’ in front of goal, which sort of sums up his season so far.

The former Aberdeen marksman has lost 69% of his duels and missed five ‘big chances’ to go along with his one goal in his 11 league outings, per Sofascore, which shows that he has struggled physically and in front of goal in a Gers shirt.

These statistics show that the 26-year-old striker has not delivered enough quality on the pitch, in or out of possession, which is why Rohl should drop the forward from the starting line-up for this clash with Kilmarnock this evening, to give Danilo or Youssef Chermiti a chance to lead the line.

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Miovski is not the only player who should be dropped from the side that started against Dundee United, though, as Connor Barron should also be ruthlessly ditched.

Why Connor Barron should be dropped

Rohl should drop the Scotland international from the starting line-up because his performances in the last two league games have not been at a high level.

Barron started against Falkirk and Dundee United alongside Nicolas Raskin in the middle of the park, ahead of Mohamed Diomande, but failed to offer enough quality on or off the ball.

Connor Barron

Vs Falkirk

Vs Dundee United

Minutes

76

90

Pass accuracy

90%

83%

Big chances created

0

0

Tackles made

0

1

Fouls committed

2

1

Ground duels won

3/6

1/5

Aerial duels won

0/1

0/2

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former Aberdeen star lost the majority of his physical duels across both games, including 86% against Dundee United, whilst he did not create any ‘big chances’ for the team.

This shows that Barron has been a lightweight in his duels in recent games, as opposition players have found it too easy to get the better of him, which has made the Rangers midfield too easy to play against.

On top of struggling out of possession, the 23-year-old central midfielder has no goals, no assists, and no ‘big chances’ created in 12 appearances and seven starts in the Premiership this season, per Sofascore.

He does not offer much of a threat at the top end of the pitch and that has played a part in Rangers scoring just one non-penalty goal in 180 minutes against Falkirk and Dundee United.

Rohl has Diomande, who scored in his last league start against Livingston, available for selection and should bring him into the team to replace Barron for this clash with Kilmarnock this evening.

The Ivorian talent, who is off to the African Cup of Nations later this month, produced five goals and nine assists in midfield for the Scottish giants in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he has the quality to make an impact in the final third when he is at his best.

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It is down to Rohl, though, to unleash him alongside Raskin against Kilmarnock tonight to provide him with another chance to remind the supporters of his quality before his absence due to international duty, because Barron has not done enough in his place.

Newcastle serious about January bid for £13.5m “playmaker” likened to Tonali

Newcastle United are now seriously considering a January bid for a new midfielder, who is being targeted by some of Europe’s top clubs.

Newcastle keen on midfielder likened to Sandro Tonali

Sandro Tonali has earned rave reviews this season, with Paul Scholes causing a stir when he chose the Italian ahead of Declan Rice as the best midfielder in the Premier League back in October, saying: “I love Sandro Tonali as well. He’s been brilliant. Very good. I would probably choose Tonali at this point.”

“I think he’s better than Rice. I really like Rice, don’t get me wrong, I think he’s got everything. Sometimes he takes a few too many touches of the ball and tries to look a bit more stylish than necessary. He can do everything but I just don’t think he does it enough. I prefer Tonali but they’re both good players.”

The central midfielder has remained a key player for Eddie Howe, making 19 appearances in all competitions, although there are some doubts over the future of midfield partner Joelinton, who received criticism for his performance in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.

With the Brazilian struggling, Howe may want to enter the market for a new midfielder during the January transfer window, and Newcastle are now seriously considering a bid for Ferencvaros midfielder Alex Toth, who is valued at around £13.5m.

A whole host of Europe’s biggest clubs have been eyeing the Hungarian, who has been compared to Dominik Szoboszlai, including Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, but the PIF are now plotting a January move.

The 20-year-old excels as a box-to-box midfielder, and some of his performances for Ferencvaros suggest he may now be ready to test himself in one of Europe’s top leagues…

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He’s been in excellent form.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 3, 2025 Toth could be fantastic long-term addition to Howe's squad

Given his age, the young Hungarian still has plenty of time to develop, but he has already started to put in some very promising displays for Ferencvaros, chipping in with four goals and 15 assists in 56 outings for the Hungarian club.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described the maestro as a “roaming playmaker”, while also comparing him to Newcastle star Tonali, which is a huge compliment, considering just how highly Scholes rates the Italy international.

Not only has the starlet impressed domestically, but he also earned huge praise for his performance against Genk in the Europa League earlier this season.

With Toth potentially available for a very affordable fee, Newcastle should undoubtedly make a bid this winter, and they should move quickly, given the rival interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

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