Rabbi Matondo's Rangers cameo that points to brighter future

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The main takeaways from Saturday’s 5-2 win over St Mirren were rightly the impressive showing from Todd Cantwell, a quick-fire Alfredo Morelos double and some concerning defensive lapses.

What was also interesting and equally encouraging was the return of Rabbi Matondo making his first appearance this calendar year.

The Welshman has had a fraught spell since arriving from Schalke for £2m last summer. A crisis of confidence coupled with niggling injuries have hampered his progress but his bright display from the bench at the weekend may just offer a glimmer of hope.

Speaking in his post-match press conference following the win over the Buddies, Michael Beale singled Matondo out for praise. “Rabbi hasn't had much of an opportunity due to injury, he's still not 100% fit, I don't think but he got 70 minutes in the B team game on Tuesday and I thought it was right for 30 minutes today, with Ryan not available and Scotty not available.

“To be fair, he's gone and got a really good assist running behind. I thought it was a really good pullback for Alfredo.”

Beale is spot on, it was a perfectly weighted pass for the Colombian to net Rangers’ fourth of the game and his double knee slide alongside Morelos was equally enjoyable.

Given last week’s disappointing result at Parkhead, the remaining six league games are dead rubbers which, in turn, provides an opportunity for players such as Matondo to stake a claim and prove they are deserving of a place in what will be a much-changed Rangers next season.

When you factor in Ryan Kent’s future and form, the next half a dozen games give Matondo a real chance to alter the narrative that's dominated his Rangers career thus far.

Of course, he has to earn his chance and that was highlighted by Beale in his pre-match press conference when quizzed on whether he intended to give minutes to those on the fringes.

“First thing is we have to keep winning and I want a strong Rangers,” he replied.

“I certainly won't devalue the shirt and just give people minutes because I think they've been waiting. They have to deserve them. We've got a semi-final and we want to end the season well. We want to retain the Scottish Cup. There's still a lot to play for. Within that, there will be opportunities but the biggest thing is that the players have to earn it on the training pitch.”

His half hour on Saturday shows Matondo has earned his chance on the training pitch but it’s his performances in games where he will be judged.

With a resurgent Aberdeen next up for Rangers on Sunday, Beale has an interesting selection dilemma facing him. If Kent recovers from injury, does he deserve to be reinstated or will we see Fashion Sakala or Matondo occupy that position?

Should Matondo get the nod it would be his first start since the 1-0 triumph over Hearts back in December.

It’s easy to forget this was a player who lit up the Belgian top flight last term. When Rangers faced Union Saint Gilloise in the Champions League qualifiers, he was namechecked by Union boss Karel Geraerts as the danger man.

“One of the players we know well is Matondo,” he said.

“He played here in Belgium for Cercle Brugge. He was a good player and made a very good impression last year when he played against us.

“So Rangers are able to take the best players out of the Belgian league and take them to Glasgow.

“The top Belgian clubs weren’t able to keep them in Belgium so that means Rangers have a lot of possibilities.”

Having walked the streets of Leuven in the lead-up to kick off speaking to Rangers supporters who had travelled to Belgium for the game, the summer signing they were most excited about watching in action was Matondo.

Unfortunately, he and several others had a night to forget at the Den Dreef stadium and despite a thumping comeback win at Ibrox, Matondo’s struggle for form has continued ever since.

It remains to be seen if Saturday’s cameo is a flash in the pan but this is clearly someone who has talent and bags of ability, the question mark remains whether he has the mentality to perform for a club of this magnitude.

Beale’s words at the turn of the year suggest Rangers fully believe the 22-year-old will be able to play a more prominent role going forward.

“He's a young boy. He's an international, played in the Bundesliga, played in the Belgian league, he's here for a reason,” he said.

“He's maybe having a crisis of confidence. He's our player, we trust him, we bought him for a reason and we will help him out the other side of it.”

Time will tell if Saturday’s showing could be the first step out the other side for Matondo.

Given the outlay and potential left-wing void, it may provide Beale and the fanbase with a crumb of comfort to know they have a young and re-energized Welshman ready to kick-start his Rangers career.