By Joe Ellis

5th Aug, 2022 | 1:10pm

Rangers have to take chance to experiment with Antonio Colak, Alfredo Morelos partnership

Rangers will welcome Kilmarnock to Ibrox on Saturday (6 August) and Giovanni van Bronckhorst has to use this chance to experiment.

Ever since the Dutchman’s arrival in the dugout of the Light Blues, he has been stubborn in playing a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 system and has never waivered from it even when injuries made things difficult.

He has started the new season in the same tactic but two underwhelming performances at Livingston and Union Saint Gilloise should be the catalyst for change.

What van Bronckhorst needs to be trying is new signing Antonio Colak alongside Alfredo Morelos, when he is fit to return, because the 28-year-old has been horribly isolated so far.

He only made three passes at the Tony Macaroni Arena in the first game of the 2022-23 campaign and two of those came from kick-off.

That is not an acceptable contribution for any Rangers side but it was hardly his fault given that his teammates could not find a way to get him into the game.

As a striker, he needs to stay pushed right up against the opposition defence for the majority of the game but if he had a partner up front, he could then have the license to drop in a little more and get a feel for the ball.

That is where Morelos can be so good for him because the Colombian loves to spin off his marker and dart into the channels and both in tandem would create plenty of space which will be frightening for any defence.

In a game where they are expected to win fairly easily, van Bronckhorst should be trying out something like a 4-4-2 or maybe even a back three before the really important games come around because the Light Blues cannot keep playing like they have done at the start of this season.

In other Rangers news, a meeting is due to take place this week which could see the Bears gain an affiliation with a club from South America.