Buying a natural number 10 was the main topic of the day when fans read the news this morning.
Steven Gerrard was in the media stating that one of his key transfer targets was a number 10. This must’ve come across as a huge blow to Scott Arfield, whose form had dipped recently whilst playing in the same position.
He was bought from Burnley on a free transfer for that exact reason. He’s supposed to be a creator and goalscorer from the midfield, but Gerrard felt he hadn’t seen enough of that.
The challenge was laid down to Arfield ahead of the Motherwell clash this afternoon. He deserves massive credit for taking it and then some.
In one of his rare starring days, Arfield was terrific this afternoon. He was a constant thorn going forward for Rangers, and managed to bag two goals in the 7-1 mauling.
The Canada star was influential in everything good about Rangers going forward. He showed good aggression, off-ball running, and composure in front of goal. To sum up, he showed the attributes Gerrard would want in any potential number 10 signing.
Needs to be consistent
His goal now is to start providing that on a consistent basis. The Rangers manager clearly doesn’t feel he’s getting enough from his forward-thinking players. Outside of the Motherwell mauling. Rangers had looked fairly poor going forward domestically.
There’s no denying there is a bit of a lack of depth in the number 10 role. Outside of Arfield, only Ovie Ejaria could play there naturally.
It may not stop Gerrard from delving back into the transfer market and buying one, but Arfield has secured that number 10 spot as his own for now. Any new recruit is going to have to show that they’re better than the Canadian before they go in the side before him.
There was real frustration in the Rangers’ manager’s voice when he described the lack of goals he was getting. Now, he can’t say the same after watching his side rattle home a sensational seven against Motherwell.
Arfield has therefore given the manager a reminder of what he’s all about. It’s as timely as it was devastating. It also moved Rangers to within two points of top spot.
Now? We see if he can keep it up after the international break.
