Gerrard: ‘Aggressive’ new Rangers signing will get ‘stronger, fitter and better’
Steven Gerrard believes that summer signing Bongani Zungu will only get “stronger, fitter and better” after making his Rangers debut against Hamilton Academical.
The Gers won 8-0 at Ibrox, with Zungu coming off the bench at half-time and impressing.
After the game, his manager revealed that he had no doubts about bringing on the South African so early for his first appearance.
“He came into the game at a good time,” said Gerrard (via The Scotsman).
“He’s only going to get stronger, fitter and better. But you can see his range of passing, you can see his profile, you can see his aggressiveness. He can play, he’ll have no problems at all. He’ll give us another real strong option in the middle of midfield. I had no qualms about replacing Jacko with Bongani because he’s a high level footballer.”
Competition for places
The centre of the Rangers midfield is fast becoming the most competitive part of the pitch, with Zungu only adding to that.
Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara and Steven Davis all impressed in Lisbon in the Europa League on Thursday, but with the games coming so regularly, squad depth will be vital.
Completing 92% of his 38 attempted passes Zungu was simple if not spectacular, and Gerrard is clearly expecting more to come from his new recruit (via WhoScored).
Looking at his data from the 2019-20 season, Zungu averaged 1.64 interceptions and 1.09 tackles per 90, as well as a total of 133 ball recoveries from 21 appearances. As Gerrard stated, his ball playing skills are one of his strengths with the South African completing 81.2% of his passes, as well as 66% of his long passes. (via FBRef).
With Zungu now fit and ready to contribute, he adds more rotation options and can create a sense of healthy competition that should raise standards throughout the squad.
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