Who is going to be Rangers’ number three striker next Sunday?
Alfredo Morelos and Kyle Lafferty’s ineligibility for this weekend’s Betfred Cup semi-final against Aberdeen means that Rangers are without a recognised striker. Okay, Umar Sadiq may be fit, but this is supposed to be a serious piece.
Steven Gerrard, therefore, could still be scratching his head trying to come up with a solution. After Sunday’s display against Hamilton, could he do worse than turn to Ryan Kent?
The on-loan Liverpool man continues to dazzle Rangers supporters with terrific individual performances on a weekly basis. On Sunday at Hamilton Accies, Kent latched onto a Lassana Coulibaly pass before expertly chipping the ball in. It was a sensational strike from the Rangers man, and one full of striking prowess.
Granted, we still haven’t seen too much of Kent as of yet, but he could be an option to play on the shoulder against Aberdeen.
A tough ask?
It would be a tough ask for him up against the likes of Scott McKenna and Michael Devlin. Aberdeen’s back-line is as resolute as it has been for a while, and not having a fit and firing striker for Sunday isn’t ideal.
Kent, however, could be an option with his pace. How he would deal with the physical threat that the Aberdeen defence would put on him is an interesting question. Long balls would be out of the question, but Rangers aren’t about that anyway.
It’s also important to recognise how vital Kent is down the left for Rangers. His ability to be creative down that side is symbolic of the new style Gerrard wants to embed at Ibrox.
There could be a solution to that, however. Glenn Middleton continues to wait in the wings for an opportunity to shine. A cup semi-final against Aberdeen certainly isn’t too big a stage for him. Considering the fact that Middleton came on against Villarreal and made a huge impact, there’s no reason not to believe he could could do the same against Aberdeen.
You can say it’s a risk, but Gerrard’s going to have to take one regardless of his decision on Sunday. If Sadiq, Eros Grezda, or even Scott Arfield plays up top, all three are risks in their own way for Rangers.
And whilst the chances are that Gerrard doesn’t want to shift Kent, it is certainly something worth considering as he continues to shuffle through potential solutions.
Let us know what your ideal solution would be in the comments below.
