Joe Dodoo’s goals for Blackpool last night couldn’t have come at a better time for the Rangers forward.
The striker has had a tough time of it in his career as a whole. Since leaving Leicester for Ibrox, Dodoo has failed to make any form of impression on the Rangers support.
A loan spell at Charlton provided him with just three starts and two goals over a six-month period. He was then shipped out to Blackpool at the start of the current season after a further six months of no game-time at Ibrox.
It didn’t start well with the Seasiders. The striker had made just nine appearances and bagged just one goal to start off his time in League One. It was looking like a disaster. That, however, was a week ago.
Fast forward seven days and Dodoo has found his feet in England. Three goals in his last two matches against Exeter and Accrington Stanley respectively is a big step forward from him.
It also comes at a time when loan manager Billy Kirkwood is settling into his new job. If Dodoo can continuously find the net between now and the end of the season, how could Steven Gerrard possibly ignore that?
Without Kirkwood, it could’ve been the case that Gerrard dismissed Dodoo’s goals in England and got rid of him anyway. You have to imagine, however, that the new loan manager is going to be providing the manager with detailed reports on the likes of Dodoo.
An unlikely chance to impress?
This, therefore, now becomes a huge chance for him to become a real thought in the Rangers manager’s head.
Make no mistake, this is last-chance saloon for Dodoo this season. His time at Ibrox has been an unmitigated disaster so far, and has yet to impress one iota during his time up north.
In fairness to the striker, however, nobody has really put their faith in him consistently. A run of games could be exactly what the forward needs to start showing his true potential.
It will also take a lot more than a few goals against Exeter and Accrington for Gerrard to take notice of him. But Kirkwood’s appointment gives all of the loan players the opportunity to have their work put to the Gers manager.
Dodoo likely won’t have a future at Ibrox. His first goal against Accrington may have been stunning, but it’s going to be a huge ask to break into a Rangers side holding Alfredo Morelos and Kyle Lafferty. Despite the fact Lafferty has yet to seriously impress, he remains a big name to get in ahead of.
Building on this is now more essential than ever for Dodoo. He needs to be doing this sort of business on a consistent basis. If he does, is it truly fair to say his Rangers future is as dead as it initially looked?
