Kris Boyd applauds Amad Diallo for creating Rangers equaliser with unselfish work
Amad Diallo was the unsung hero who made the Rangers equaliser at Dundee United by creating the space for Joe Aribo to score, says Kris Boyd.
Aribo smashed Calvin Bassey’s cut back into the roof of the net after a nice pass from Ryan Kent down the left, but the key role of Manchester United loanee Diallo went largely unnoticed.
Former Gers striker Boyd was delighted with his movement after the game and directed the credit for the goal towards the young Ivorian.
Speaking on Sky Sports after the final whistle he said: “Don’t underestimate the run from Diallo there.
“Because he’s prepared to run across that front post it takes Dundee United’s defenders closer to the goal and allows that space there for Aribo to come on.
“Great cut back from Bassey and a great finish from Aribo, but it was one of the first times somebody got across that front post.
“The run from Diallo made that goal.”
Zero to 100
The teenager appeared to be off the pace when he came on during the second half for the poor Filip Helander.
He noticeably ducked out of a 50/50 inside his own half, and then failed to chase a ball down the right, believing he was offside while replays showed he was clearly on.
But his movement off the ball was actually a key contributor to the equalising goal, and his speed and sharpness appeared in a flash when he went through and hit the post.
Thereafter he was lively down the right flank and put in one particularly teasing cross that saw Fashion Sakala and Benjamin Siegrist both sustain facial injuries as they went for it in the middle.
The Zambian was also a second-half substitute and the introduced pair did inject a level of incisiveness that Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side had struggled to muster.
Possibly suffering from a lull after the high of Dortmund on Thursday, players such as Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Jack were below their best, and more dropped points was the result.
Two penalty claims, one dismissed and one simply missed, could have been the difference on a frustrating afternoon.
In other Rangers news, Boyd clashed with his fellow Sky Sports pundit James McFadden over one of the shouts.