Are Rangers missing Kent's directness?

Former Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson believes the absence of Ryan Kent could be affecting the Ibrox side's ability to break teams down.

Winger Kent left Glasgow to join Turkish side Fenerbache last summer at the end of the his contract.

Thomson thinks Tom Cantwell is having to contend with a "unique" role and the former Norwich City midfielder should be more direct.

"I think there seems to be a nervousness to try and get over the line," he told BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I think there's a big onus on the attacking players. I thought Cantwell often puffed at times. I thought he was playing a unique position when you play for Rangers.

"When you receive the ball, you've got a wall of jerseys, whether they're blue jerseys or opposition ones, to try and thread through passes, to try and create something.

"They probably have missed someone that's capable of taking people on. I think they've struggled at times to try and break teams down and to create the wee moments that sometimes just need imagination.

I think when you've got a Ryan Kent that is more than capable of attracting two or three players to the ball and he's so dangerous and he can create space for others, plus he can go 1v1, he can take people on, he can take multiple players on and make things happen off of nothing.

"I'm not so sure Rangers quite have that in their armoury this year so it's looked slightly different for them."