Ryan Naderi does something not seen before this season in Rangers win vs Kilmarnock
Rangers moved into second place in the Scottish Premiership table by beating Kilmarnock 5-1 at Ibrox on Wednesday.
Kilmarnock’s Dominic Thompson was sent off in the fourth minute for a foul in the box on Djeidi Gassama, and James Tavernier converted the resulting penalty.
The Bears doubled their lead through Bojan Miovski in the second half, just before winter signings Andreas Skov Olsen, Ryan Naderi and Tuur Rommens were all introduced.
Skov Olsen made it 3-0, and although Jack Butland gifted the visitors a goal, Oliver Antman and Mikey Moore sealed an emphatic victory at Ibrox.
Rangers’ 5-1 win over Kilmarnock leaves them just three points behind league leaders Hearts, and Naderi certainly caught the eye on his debut.
Ryan Naderi offers Rangers someting very different
Rangers reached an agreement with Hansa Rostock to sign Naderi for £5.2million on deadline day as the long-winded transfer saga finally came to an end.
Naderi has a lot of potential to succeed in Govan after enjoying an impressive start to the campaign in the German third tier.
He showcased that against Kilmarnock by causing problems for Neil McCann’s defenders after replacing Thelo Aasgaard in the 60th minute.
Speaking on the Daily Record Hotline Live, Keith Jackson said he believes the 22-year-old striker can offer something completely different to both Miovski and Youssef Chermiti.
He said: “Naderi caught my eye. I know he missed a good chance – I’m sure he’ll know he should have scored it. But just in terms of his energy levels, his movement, he looked quite rapid for a big guy.
| Stat | Naderi |
| Minutes played | 30 |
| Shots | 3 |
| Touches in opposition box | 4 |
| Tackles | 3 |
| Accurate passes | 8/9 |
“When the ball was going into the wide areas, the runs that he was making into the box was like nothing I’ve seen before from any other Rangers striker this season.
“He was attacking dangerous areas, and I think there’s a lot for Rangers fans to think that it is a really interesting signing.”
Naderi played 90 minutes for Hansa Rostock on Saturday, and it’s clear the German needs some time to build some fitness before being ready to start.
However, he has certainly shown a lot of promising signs in one short cameo, and his impact on the team could cause Chermiti a problem.
- Read more: Rangers still have one more new signing to come, midfielder to join on £16,000-a-week deal
Why Youssef Chermiti should be looking over his shoulder
The biggest compliment that can be paid to Naderi is that he has a strong desire to chase every lost ball.
This is evident in how aggressively the German forward plays, which isn’t quite the case for Chermiti.
Chermiti has often struggled for Rangers, although his brace in the Old Firm derby on 3 January has certainly bought him some leeway with the fans.
However, he has been far from clinical, and the fact that the Bears were so keen on bringing another number nine to Govan speaks volumes.
Rangers did reject a £13m bid for the Portuguese striker, and it may have been foolish not to take that offer, especially if Naderi displaces Chermiti in the starting lineup and his value starts to decrease.
Naderi’s arrival should give him the perfect motivation to start performing more consistently, and Chermiti will undoubtedly have to fight hard for his place in the team after his counterpart’s promising debut.