Glasgow Rangers midfielder Jason Holt has done fairly well at Ibrox, but Nigel Clough believes he could do even better.
Rangers’ Jason Holt
Jason Holt’s former Sheffield United boss Nigel Clough has disclosed his surprise at Pedro Caixinha’s decision to use the Rangers man as a holding midfielder as he believes he could be the Ibrox side’s version of Frank Lampard, the Daily Record reports.
Clough worked with Holt during the 24-year-old’s loan spell at Bramall Lane during the latter stages of his Hearts career before he moved to Rangers in 2015.
Holt’s career with the Gers has been fairly inconsistent so far, but Caixinha has kept the faith with him in a slightly deeper role since he arrived earlier in the campaign.
But while Clough suggested that he could see the Portuguese’s thinking, he insisted that Holt has the potential to make a much greater impact further up the pitch, just as Lampard used to do at Stamford Bridge.
Rangers’ Jason Holt in action with Celtic’s Stuart Armstrong
“I’m surprised the new Rangers manager has changed Jason’s position,” he said, as reported by the Record.
“I can see why Pedro has done it because Jason’s energy can certainly be used in that way. But sometimes it’s a little bit of a waste when he can’t make runs into the box and get goals.
“Jason’s runs into the box where he’d arrive late were similar to the ones Lampard would make.”
Frank Lampard
With the likes of Emerson Hyndman and Jon Toral both looking most effective when used further forward, and with a void in the holding midfield area of the pitch – that Mark Warburton seemed to hope that Joey Barton would fill when he was signed last summer – it is no surprise that Holt has featured slightly further back.
But if neither Hyndman or Toral return to Ibrox next season, and if Caixinha manages to find that midfield general that Rangers have arguably been crying out for this term, then perhaps Holt will get the chance to prove exactly why Clough has such a high opinion about his style of play.
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