Michael Beale is once again taking a signing risk after it was confirmed Rangers are close to the loan capture of out of form Abdullah Sima, who might once slightly sparkled v the Famous during his Sparta days, but has sadly long-lost that form and been a football nomad ever since.
The right winger, 22, was actually overshadowed by Nicolae Claudiu Stanciu who was Prague’s biggest threat by a distance.
As for Sima, he didn’t secure any assists or goals over either of these legs, but he did cause a few issues for James Tavernier and Borna Barisic as the Senegalese winger switched sides – but nothing anywhere near the impact of Stanciu.
Sim was prior widely-regarded as their best player before those two legs but unfortunately that form (while we didn’t really see it those two matches anyway) is two years old and since that season ended he’s amassed 10 goals and 4 assists. Equally unfortunately four of those goals were for Brighton’s reserves in the Premier League 2.
It’s safe to say Sima’s fortunes peaked in that very Europa League campaign and he’s been miles off it since. His move to Brighton failed horribly, having never played a senior minute for them and he has been stricken by injuries before being farmed out to Angers in Ligue 1 which, in fairness, is a good league. Naturally, like everyone else we target, they were relegated.
Sadly, again, 5 goals 2 assists in 34 appearances is just alright and nothing more, and once again, like the bizarre Sam Lammers signing, Michael Beale is pinning hopes on ‘being the right man and club to get Sima back to his best’.
We’re not thrilled with this one. It’s a loan, for a start – we hate loans. We don’t need loans unless it’s a special player and an amazing opportunity, and Sima isn’t.
He’s a risk, a player who’s been off form for almost as long as Lammers has, and while there’s a slim chance the £15M player he apparently once was will randomly make a reappearance, the likelihood of this is low.
The one thing Sima has is age – he’s still only 22, and he has time to get himself back on track, but loans rarely to never work out and we’re very, very sceptical of this deal if it happens.
Yes, we sound unsupportive and cynical, but when we signed off a piece yesterday with cautious comments about ‘just needs one two good signings eh’ this wasn’t what we had in mind.
This isn’t a good signing.
I’m with you on this IN . He seems like a risk we don’t need . We have Matondo sitting on his arse getting silly money .
If he works out and Beale can rekindle some form, I think bringing him in on loan when we can’t afford to buy him just saves Beale money he doesn’t have and he can fill that position next summer. We did alright out of Tillman, after all
Scotswhahae
Beale made it clear back in January that there would be no quick fix loanee’s so why this player is even being considered is beyond me. He is far far below what kind of player is required to help us achieve getting back on top and winning silverware.
💙💙
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