Ibrox View: Promising start shows Aribo can have big season for Rangers
Joe Aribo has started the 2020/21 season off at quite a pace for Rangers.
The Nigeria international was a key player in the first three games for Steven Gerrard this season – all wins and clean sheets.
Darren Fletcher even went as far as to single him out for praise on the opening weekend after an influential performance in the 1-0 win over Aberdeen.
He missed the disappointing 0-0 with Livingston through injury and is not going to be fit for Saturday’s game against Kilmarnock either.
Gerrard thinks he will be back for the game the following week against Hamilton – and we think the sooner, the better.
The recent 3-0 win over St. Johnstone really hammered home how far Aribo has progressed since he joined the Gers last summer.
The 24-year-old recorded a pass completion rate of 94%, a 9.3% increase on his career average, as per Wyscout.
Similarly, he contested 27 duels in that game.
That total is actually his lowest of the season to date but is still higher than his career average of 25.21.
And the two in combination make him a much more visible presence on the field.
Take a look at his pass map against St. Johnstone, for instance.
You can clearly see from even the most cursory of glances that Aribo is dominating the ball in the opposition’s half, and his one key pass, in particular, is testament to the more advanced, dangerous positions in which he is beginning to affect matches.
Likewise, if we look at the areas in which Aribo is winning his duels, we see that there are clusters in and around the edge of the opposition penalty area.
Again, this is a reflection of his attacking intent and new-found dominance in key positions of the field.
And his goal against St. Johnstone illustrates that too.
Granted, it may have come from a corner, but Aribo still had to show great awareness and physicality to get in front of his man and glance his header home.
Aribo started this season off like a juggernaut, there are no two ways about it.
And we don’t think it was a coincidence that the game he missed was the worst for Rangers by far this season.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox View: Sheffield United ace would be clever addition to Rangers midfield