Ibrox view: Rarely-seen Rangers player must start v Aberdeen if available
Rangers face Aberdeen at Ibrox on Sunday and Steven Gerrard should be looking to their previous fixture for lessons learned.
In the match at Pittodrie Rangers ran out 1-0 winners, able to breakdown the strong Dons defence early on before dominating the ball.
On that day Gerrard went for a side capable of controlling possession and this allowed the Gers to limit Derek McInnes’ side to just four shots across the 90 minutes (via WhoScored). With over 60% of the ball, Aberdeen never established a foothold in the game and this allowed Rangers to manage their lead.
When the two teams face off on Sunday, the Rangers boss should employ the same strategy and therefore, it is the ideal match to give Bongani Zungu his first start.
Against Hamilton Academical on his Gers debut, the South African showed his outstanding skills in possession, completing 35 passes in just 45 minutes on the field (via WhoScored). They were not just sideways passes either, with Zungu probing the deep block of Hamilton and finding runners in behind on regular basis.
He also provided a great link between defence and midfield, helping speedy ball progression and positioning himself so that Rangers’ defenders could join the attack.
This is a role that Steven Davis has fulfilled on a regular basis, but following the concerns over his fitness during the international break, it makes perfect sense to fit Zungu into the side in his place as long as he’s available as Gerrard revealed he suffered a knock on international duty.
Ryan Jack played in this role against Aberdeen in August, flanked by Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo, but Gerrard should be looking to rest the Scotland man ahead of Benfica on Thursday. Davis and Jack were outstanding in the away match and given they are both in their 30s, it would make sense to rest them following an intense international break.
Alongside Kamara, Zungu can give Rangers the on-the-ball quality that proved Aberdeen’s undoing in the reverse fixture. With plenty of attacking options ahead of him, the South African can focus on helping his side dominate possession.
Gerrard has been willing to rotate all season and the time has come to give Zungu a run out from the start. He showed against Hamilton that he has quality and deserves the chance to stake a claim for a regular starting berth.
In other Rangers news, what can Bongani Zungu bring to the Rangers midfield?