Athletic: Rangers must sign ‘explosive’ attacker to move to next level
Rangers require an ‘explosive’ player in attack if they wish to push the boundaries and reach new levels, according to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell.
Steven Gerrard’s side seem pretty well stacked in most positions currently and are in good stead with the Gers sat 20 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership and through to the last 32 of the Europa League.
Ryan Kent, Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos are three of Rangers’ big name forwards who have been instrumental to their success this season (or before as in the case of Morelos).
They are complimented by the likes of veteran striker Jermain Defoe and Ianis Hagi but the side does seem to be short on rip-roaring pace at the top end of the field.
This is where Campbell makes his case in a Rangers discussion board on The Athletic, saying: “I think the one thing Rangers need to go to the next level if that explosiveness up top.
“Kent has it but when Morelos isn’t at top speed they lack those electric players.
“They’ve got a really good base and can keep the ball well but I’d say a midfielder who can orchestrate middle to front and a direct player who can play off the right would be upgrades.”
Speed is the need
The need for pacey players is not as essential for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership where they dominate the ball and teams sit on the edge of their own area waiting for the Light Blues to make their approach.
In this scenario clever creative players like Hagi come to the fore and he is often deployed on the right hand side and drifts in to slot balls between the defence.
However in bigger games, especially in Europe, having quick players that are able to counter-attack at breakneck speed is a very important ingredient and one Gerrard might have to consider adding if they are to re-establish themselves as true European contenders for years to come.
They reached the last 16 in the 2019/20 season before falling to Bayer Leverkusen as the difference in class shone through but they have come on leaps and bounds this season and are not far away from the finished product.
There just requires some tweaks in certain areas and that will come with the increase in revenue and profile that the success they have enjoyed this season will bring.
Even though the season has not reached its concluding months Gerrard will already be plotting summer swoops for attackers that can help Rangers reach that all-important next level and assert themselves as true European heavyweights once again.
In other Rangers news, Chris Sutton pours cold water on Ally McCoist’s 10-in-a-row Celtic claim.