James Sands came in from the cold for a Scottish Cup start against Dundee and he certainly took his chance to impress.
When the team was first confirmed, there was a line of thinking that the US international would be deployed in defence alongside Connor Goldson and Fil Helander but instead he formed a double pivot in midfield alongside Ryan Jack.
Sands often played on the right side of defence in MLS and that is another asset of his versatility but yesterday he gave a great showing of his capability and indeed his ability to do a job for the team – a ‘simple’ role performed to a high degree.
The man signed from New York City FC kept things uncomplicated, he was available at an angle for a pass, he was combative when required and overall, he was just very effective. This was a display that would have pleased his manager and provided an indication of what will follow, with the 21-year old just a couple of months into his time at Rangers following the move across the Atlantic.
An excellent analysis piece from Joshua Barrie at Rangers Review provides depth and detail to Sands’ game yesterday, summed up with the following snapshot:
“He won 11 of 14 duels, made seven recoveries, found the target with 91% of his passes and amassed 14 recoveries.”
Versatile in defence and midfield, an all-rounder and able to play a forward pass, James Sands is definitely an exciting prospect as well as a real option now, with plenty of time for development on his side.