The deal that saw Rangers sign James Sands from New York City is a pretty unique one, an 18-month loan deal with an option to buy clause giving us first refusal on the 21-year old.
He arrived with a stellar reputation as his side’s young player of the year and as an established member of the senior USA squad, but there were question marks over what role he would play under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Initial appearances showed player who was neat and tidy but limited in possession, at a club that dominates possession this is never going to be enough, however, against Dundee, he put in the sort of performance that suggests he could be an asset and revealed, post match, that the penny may have dropped:
“It is understanding that in Scottish football you have so many types of different games. The games you play at Ibrox are very different to the ones you play away from home.
“Different things are required in the games and I knew going to Dundee it would be a physical match and there would be a lot of challenges.
“That helped me settle into the game. It’s great to have the likes of Ryan Jack and Aaron Ramsey in the team beside me. They are always talking to me and they make my job a lot easier. There’s a positive feeling around the place right now.”
Yes, it was just Dundee but he was outstanding. Not only was he more physical but he seemed to be everywhere picking up second balls and winning back possession, the good thing was he didn’t just play safe when he got the ball too and always looked to get us back on the front foot.
What we have seen is that Gio likes to have a midfielder that can drop into the middle of defence to make a back three and Sands, like John Lundstram, has that capability. Being able to make tactical changes without making subs is hugely advantageous to a manager and it could be that Sands, is a manager’s dream after all.