If there is one former Rangers player who knows what it takes to shoulder the burden of creativity it’s Brian Laudrup, the great Dane being responsible for so many moments of magic but also a level of consistency that we have struggled to find since in the attacking third – that he is the standard for others to follow tells it’s own story.
Todd Cantwell has finally been confirmed as a Rangers player and for all that he won’t be measured against Laudrup, there are similarities between the two. Talent isn’t in question, but form has been hard to find, similar to when Laudrup arrived from Fiorentina.
Writing in The Daily Mail, Laudrup has been impressed with what he has seen of Cantwell in the past and has identified what needs to happen for Michael Beale to get the best out of him:
“At his best, he’s wonderful to watch. He’s one of those guys who can turn a game on its head with creativity.
“He’s brave on the ball, he wants to take players on and can operate in various positions – as a No.10, on the right and on the left.
“The platform will be there at Rangers. His numbers need to get up in terms of goals and assists. He must handle the expectation.
“But he has got the ability. Cantwell needs trust. I know that feeling from my own career.
“While my circumstances were different when playing in Italy, I had a real desire to find a club with a combination of freedom to play and career stability.
“Rangers provided that for me. Maybe it will now be the same for Cantwell.”
Cantwell has greater flexibility than Laudrup in that he can play deeper in midfield or anywhere behind a striker, however, he will have similar demands place on him by the Rangers support in terms of creating chances and bringing an extra dimension to our attack.
One thing that can be said of Cantwell, as seen in his various social media posts, is that he is clearly not short of confidence, a quality that is essential to be a success in front of a crowd that moans about every misplaced pass, even if we are winning 4-0 at the time.
The 24-year old spoke about Beale and his message being a big factor in his decision to sign for Rangers and, hopfully, we see Cantwell return to his best as we have seen Ryan Kent do in recent weeks. Them, plus Malik Tillman could be a lot of fun.