Clinton Nsiala defying Rangers expectations as Philippe Clement tells him what MUST come next
It was a day for cool heads. But Philippe Clement was glad to see Clinton Nsiala produce just the right blend of composure and aggression as Rangers survived their Tynecastle test.
The Belgian boss knew Hearts would view his side as a wounded animal as they welcomed the under-fire Ibrox side into the Gorgie cauldron just a week on from last week’s Scottish Cup shocker. The capital venue is likely the last place Clement would have chosen to take his team after a week from hell brought on by that humiliating exit at the hands of Queen’s Park.
Chucking kid defender Nsiala into such an environment with only six senior games under his belt looked an unnecessarily cruel move by the Light Blues boss when the teams were named an hour before kick-off. But it says everything about Clement’s faith in the young Frenchman that he was prepared to trust the summer signing from AC Milan to handle Hearts’ heat.
Nsiala certainly didn’t let his boss down, putting in an impressive show of resilience as Neil Critchley’s side came out sensing blood. And Clement was delighted to see Nsiala’s temperament stand firm as he side ground out a much-needed victory.
He said: “Clinton stayed calm - but sometimes players can be too calm and they're not aggressive enough. But he's finding a good balance for the moment in his way of playing and in his choice-making on the ball.
“I need to praise him today, and I don't do that so often or so fast with young players But Clinton has shown consistency from the moment he stepped into the team.
“In his work rates, in the training, in his concentration and during the games, you see him developing week after week. Every meeting that we have with him, with individual images, he's so focused on getting better, so