Rangers boss Michael Beale has praised striker Antonio Colak after appearing to be a different player in training of late.
The Gers beat Kilmarnock 3-1 at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon give Beale another victory.
Connor Goldson, Fashion Sakala and James Tavernier were all on the scoresheet for Rangers, securing a 3-0 lead by half time.
Jeriel Dorsett pulled one back for Killie but this was Rangers’ day.
Beale will have been desperate fo a home win after last week’s defeat to Celtic and taking those first-half chances will have been a real delight for the Gers boss.
Michael Beale hails Antonio Colak
One player really seemed to impress Beale though and it was somebody who didn’t get on the scoresheet.
Striker Antonio Colak came in against Kilmarnock, replacing Alfredo Morelos in the Rangers attack.
Colak didn’t find the net himself but he did set up Sakala to make it 2-0.
The Croatian linked up play really well for Rangers and his performance was only really missing a goal.
Colak hasn’t scored a league goal since October now but he has been working way back gradually from a calf injury.
The 29-year-old will hope to end that drought soon but he has the support of Beale regardless.
Beale has been quoted by Rangers Review as saying that the knocks and injury issues have been less than ideal for the summer signing.
Beale did though add that Colak has looked like a different player in training of late, in terms of his fitness and his personality.
The Rangers boss loved the energy Colak brought against Kilmarnock and was ‘absolutely delighted’ with his performance at Ibrox.
“Yeah, listen, when you come into the club, he was the top goalscorer I think. At the time he was right up there in the league as well and he’s been missing for, you know, fully fit Tony has been missing for a long time. He’s been injured for seven or eight weeks and then he’s been trying to find his fitness.”
“He’s had a couple of knocks outside so it’s not been ideal for him, but the last couple of weeks I’ve seen a different boy just in how he is around the training ground, his fitness, his energy, his personality and I thought he brought that in his performance. I was absolutely delighted with him. We need that energy from our no.9 position. We need that energy across the pitch. But I thought today he was really bright in the game and the only thing he hasn’t done is score,” he added.
