Hamza Igamane’s hat-trick against Hibernian was the kind of individual performance that makes headlines, but for Rangers, it was yet another frustrating result in a season plagued by inconsistency. Scoring a “perfect hat-trick” is no easy feat—left foot, right foot, and header—and Igamane turned Easter Road into his own personal playground that day. Yet despite his brilliance, Rangers still couldn’t secure the three points, as their set-piece frailties were once again exposed. That late Rocky Bushiri equalizer summed up a key issue for Philippe Clement’s side this season: defensive lapses costing them valuable points.
For Igamane personally, however, this game was a major moment in his development. The Moroccan striker has had flashes of quality since arriving at Ibrox, but this was his most complete performance yet. It wasn’t just about the goals—his movement, his link-up play, and his ability to dominate defenders all showed that Rangers may have found a real gem up front. With a performance like that, you’d expect Rangers fans to be celebrating him, but instead, the dropped points overshadowed what should have been a defining game.
On the other hand, Vaclav Cerny’s situation is another fascinating subplot in Rangers’ season. The Czech winger has had a big impact, despite taking some time to adapt to the Scottish game. The physicality and intensity of the league seemed to surprise him at first, as Chris Cadden’s story about his reaction to a crunching Josh Campbell tackle shows. But Cerny has clearly toughened up and found his rhythm, evidenced by his goal in Rangers’ win over Hearts. Fourteen goals from a wide position is an impressive return, and if he continues this form, Rangers will surely want to make his move permanent.
That said, the £7 million price tag presents a major challenge. As Kris Boyd pointed out, loan deals without an agreed buy option can create problems, especially when the player excels. If Wolfsburg see Cerny thriving in Scotland, they might decide to push for an even higher fee, knowing Rangers have a decision to make. The financial reality for Rangers is that they don’t have the spending power of clubs in the Premier League or even some mid-table Bundesliga sides. If they fail to win the league and miss out on direct Champions League qualification, splashing out a fee that big becomes even more difficult.
From Celtic’s perspective, this Rangers team remains a threat, but they’re also showing vulnerabilities that Brendan Rodgers’ side must take advantage of. Rangers’ defensive issues—particularly at set-pieces—are an area Celtic should look to exploit when the two sides meet. Igamane and Cerny are undoubtedly talented, but their individual brilliance won’t matter if Rangers keep throwing away points.
With Celtic leading the title race, the key now is consistency. Any slip-ups could let Rangers back in, but if Celtic stay focused and ruthless, Rangers’ own struggles could make their pursuit of the title a lot harder. The pressure is mounting at Ibrox, and the longer they keep dropping points, the more difficult it will be for them to keep pace with Celtic.
What do you think—do Igamane and Cerny have the quality to truly push Rangers into a title challenge, or will their defensive issues continue to cost them in the long run?