Michael Beale told to remove ‘obstacle’ Antonio Colak from Rangers payroll, striker ‘simply can’t deliver’
Rangers boss Michael Beale should remove Antonio Colak from the club’s payroll, according to journalist John Greechan.
The striker has been linked with an Ibrox exit this summer, with teams in the USA and Germany reportedly interested in his services [Scottish Sun].
His potential exit comes despite the striker scoring 17 goals in all competitions in his debut season at Rangers.
“News that Rangers are looking to offload summer signing Antonio Colak, a penalty-box predator who scored 14 goals in his first 16 games for the Ibrox outfit, may strike some as odd,” Greechan wrote for the Daily Record.
“So, sure, the stats might tell you that, by discarding the 29-year-old, Beale would be losing guaranteed goals. But that misses the point. Because a 20-goal man in one system can just as easily be an obstacle to progress in another.
“Beale doesn’t need just another striker capable of filling a jersey and playing well at the box office, but a specific type capable of grabbing the central role in season 2023-24. If Colak doesn’t fit the bill, what’s the point of keeping him on the payroll?”
Strange situation
It really is a strange situation for Colak to be in, with the striker doing very little wrong in his first campaign at the club.
Despite injury issues, the 29-year-old has banged in double figures for the Gers, helping them keep the pace with Celtic at the beginning of the campaign.
A change in manager can often see fringe players brought back into the fold, but for Colak it was the other way about, with the Croatian international barely getting a look in under Beale after shining under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
What makes the situation even more strange is that he is the club’s joint-top goalscorer with 17 goals, level with right-back James Tavernier, with many fans left scratching their heads as to why Beale has constantly overlooked Colak, with Celtic storming their way to plenty of success.
If the striker is moved on this summer, he can certainly hold his head high after shining in a league that players in his position often fail in.
In other Rangers news, John Hartson believes one Gers player can count himself lucky to have been included in PFA Scotland’s Team of the Season over Celtic’s Jota.