It’s absolutely time for Todd Cantwell to shine in an Old Firm for sure.
The Rangers playmaker has finally regained a fair chunk of the form that lit Ibrox up last season, and of course scored early in Michael Beale’s 3-0 win over them lot some time ago last year. When, of course, it no longer mattered aside mild bragging rights with the visitors already champions.
It’s time, now, for him to finally deliver against Celtic when it truly matters, and on Sunday it truly matters.
Cantwell, mercifully, has got a lot of his old form back, also having recovered from injury, and added a speck of humility to his personality, being quite vocal in the press lately about his role and ‘that’ substitution.
None of it really matters, although at least he didn’t get cocky about Sunday unlike team mate Scott Wright, who expressed ill-advised confidence.
And regardless of what he says off the pitch, Cantwell will be judged over what he does on it against them lot when there’s so much riding on it.
Philippe Clement has managed to get a decent song out of Cantwell, and while we’re not pretending he looks like a £40M player again, he’s definitely striking better notes than he was for so, so long.
Indeed, he’s back scoring and assisting again, his cross for Dessers v Hibs being immaculate, and that’s the kind of stuff the lad has in his locker.
But doing it v 6th placed Hibs is a different prospect to the Old Firm, and that May win last year aside, Cantwell hasn’t really sparkled at that level.
Indeed, he has 4 bookings in the 6 matches he’s played v them, which is nothing to boast about and shows a lack of composure in the past. A lack of cool.
This new-improved one is surely certain to start and apparently things between him and Philippe Clement couldn’t be better.
Let’s hope he shows the overall impact of his form on Sunday when it truly counts.