Rangers star Alfredo Morelos the man to beat Liverpool monster Virgil van Dijk – Kenny Miller
Giovanni van Bronckhorst needs to pick Alfredo Morelos to face Liverpool as he is the best Rangers option to take on Liverpool “monster” Virgil van Dijk, says Kenny Miller.
The former Ibrox striker knows from first hand experience of facing the Dutch defender when he was at Celtic that he is a formidable presence, but believes the Colombian has the tools to unsettle him in a way that Antonio Colak doesn’t.
The Croatia international scored twice in the 4-0 win over Hearts on Saturday (1 October) to take his tally since arriving at the club to 11, but Morelos also scored as a late substitute, and is the kind of wrecking ball forward that could prove the difference.
In his Daily Record column on Sunday (2 October) the BBC pundit said: “Who would van Dijk rather face? He won’t be fazed by anyone playing up front for Rangers.
“Colak scored twice against Hearts at Tynecastle but Morelos also netted after coming off the bench and will give the Dutchman more to worry about.
“Knowing Alfredo, he’ll probably thrive on that. He’s more mobile, more physical and more aggressive than Colak.
“He works a back-line better, he presses harder and he’s got an obvious goal threat. Despite van Dijk’s class, Morelos can get under his skin.
“He’ll be thinking, ‘Who is this guy banging into me and snarling in my face?’ But that’s Morelos, that’s his game. And that’s why I hope Giovanni van Bronckhorst goes for him up top.”
Bold
Colak would feel very hard done by if he is dropped to the bench for the big trip to Anfield, as he has done almost everything that could have been expected from him since he arrived.
The manager made that call in the previous European game against Napoli and it ultimately didn’t pay off as James Sands’ red card led to a 3-0 defeat.
Morelos on his day is the kind of player to make things uncomfortable for any centre-back, and van Dijk is not in the imperious form that has been seen over recent seasons.
The Hearts win was vital to lift spirits after a bruising September, and with both strikers finding the net van Bronckhorst has seen his attacking options boosted form-wise.
Liverpool conceded a hat-trick to Brighton’s Leandro Trossard in a 3-3 draw, to prove they can be got at currently, so the forward players cannot be daunted by the occasion.
Whoever the manager goes for will need to be sharp in order to take advantage of the opportunities that should be there, but perhaps El Bufalo is the kind of wildcard who will be key if the visitors are going to pick up a memorable result.
In other Rangers news, a Sky Sports pundit made a strong “coward” accusation after what happened in this weekend’s game.