Journalist Jonny McFarlane is worried that teams will look to target Rangers’ Ridvan Yilmaz.
The Gers signed the 21-year-old left-back from Besiktas for an initial £3.4m this summer and handed the Turkish international his first start in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Kilmarnock.
Yilmaz was replaced on 63 minutes by Borna Barisic as the two seem set to compete for a starting berth on the left-hand side of the Bears defence.
However, at just 5ft 7in and with a slender build, McFarlane has expressed his concern for the new arrival.
Speaking on the Rangers Review YouTube channel following Saturday’s victory, he said: “I remember when I first saw Amad Diallo, I thought… slight concerns and I’ve got to be honest, I’ve got the same concerns about Yilmaz and how he’s going to be consistently targeted by savvy Scottish coaches.
“They’re going to look to bully him, so he’s going to have to stand up to that.”
TIF Thoughts on Yilmaz and Rangers…
Will Yilmaz shine at Rangers?
Yes
No
Yilmaz was the only Gers player to finish with a match rating lower than 7.1 in Saturday’s victory at Ibrox (SofaScore), winning two of his four duels – one fewer than Barisic – while also making one tackle and one interception.
He had 48 touches and made six crosses and while he was fouled once as he proved a threat going forward, there will be cause for concern when it comes to defending his own goal.
However, in the Champions League last season with his former employers, he won 58% of his total duels, although he failed to register a successful aerial challenge – albeit within just two games – so it will be interesting to see if that weakness is exposed by opposing teams.