BBC Sportscene pundit slams Malik Tillman for what he did after Rangers goal v Hearts, ‘frustrating’
Malik Tillman scored the only goal of the game as Rangers beat Hearts 1-0 on Wednesday night, but the 20-year-old was still criticised for his performance.
Gers secured a vital three points at Ibrox on Wednesday to keep the pressure on rivals Celtic at the top of the table.
Tension began to grow between the two teams during a goalless first half, but Tillman produced the match-winning goal just after the hour mark to briefly relieve pressure on Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
But despite winning the game through his goal, Tillman still came under fire from Neil McCann after the match due to his “frustrating” attitude.
“His body language is poor, whether he is just a relaxed kid, I don’t know but I just think it’s as if he conserves his energy. His arms are hanging down,” McCann told Rangers TV, as quoted by the Daily Record.
“He is really static, the fans let him know they weren’t happy about it. He’s a frustrating figure for me.
“I actually said in the Livingston game that he would be one of the players of the season. He hasn’t lived up to that billing and it’s nothing to do with his ability. It’s his application.”
Hard work beats talent
Tillman has shown plenty of times this season that he has incredible talent and technical ability, but he still infuriates Rangers fans over his attitude and work rate.
When Tillman isn’t dribbling past defenders and scoring wonder goals, he simply strolls around the pitch carelessly and it undoes all his good work on the ball.
He proved in the Champions League clash against Ajax that he can track back and put in a defensive shift but it’s hardly been seen enough by Rangers fans and as a result, there’s a stigma quickly being attached to him about his lazy approach to the game.
While he’s still young, Tillman needs to try and shake that stigma before it starts defining him as a player. Giovanni van Bronckhorst needs to demand more from him off the ball in order to progress him as a player.
If he does manage to muster more energy in matches then Rangers have a serious player on their hands. But if not he should expect to be used as a scapegoat more often by fans and pundits.
In other Rangers news, Antonio Colak stinks out Ibrox but Malik Tillman shines during Rangers player ratings v Hearts