Super Eagle Joe can inspire Gers to new heights
IT’S time for the Super Eagle to soar if Rangers want to fly high above Celtic this season.
There are times when Joe Aribo resembles one of those dodgy inflatable tube men advertising ropey second-hand car showrooms.
The Nigerian playmaker should take that as a compliment, by the way. His arms flail one way and his legs twist the other – he makes Ted McMinn look like Andres Iniesta.
The former Ibrox hero delighted a yesteryear generation of Rangers fans with his unorthodox approach with the ball between his feet.
Forget the Tin Man, Aribo has the potential to be solid gold in a season that could cement his reputation, especially if Rangers go the distance domestically.
There were flashes of the potential last season that persuaded Steven Gerrard to snap him up on one of those lucrative cross-border deals.
Charlton may have received a pittance in a transfer fee but Aribo and his advisors were well weighed in, thank you very much.
Still, overall it was a no brainer for a player who could potentially return up to 10 times his initial outlay, particularly now he has become a performer on the international stage.
Aribo began his Ibrox career on fire with four goals in the opening month but nine goals from 48 appearances suggests it was a campaign best described as a settlement period.
He scored 12 the year previously in League One, undoubtedly his breakthrough season, but this campaign to come has the potential to define his career.
There were times last season when he struggled to look at ease in the rough and tumble of the Premiership but he clearly spent lockdown pushing iron. He looks stronger and more athletic but his twinkle toes are still sparkling if his strike in the 4-0 defeat of Motherwell is anything to go by.
It was Aribo at his best, pushing up high on the opposition defence and playing those neat one-twos in and around the box before allowing his trickery to talk so eloquently.
Gerrard gave Aribo licence to roam last season across the midfield and play off the cuff but he’s much less effective and influential when he drops deep.
It already looks as if Gerrard is demanding his most creative talents play closer to Alfredo Morelos, narrowing their attacking options through the middle.
If Rangers are on
He looks stronger and more athletic but his twinkle toes still sparkle
their game, it has the potential to wreak havoc in opposition defences.
If they crowd the central areas, it leaves space in wide areas for players such as Borna Barisic and James Tavernier to exploit.
Spread themselves too thin and it creates those holes and spaces for Aribo to play and go, with Ianis Hagi also looking capable of sharing a goals burden that has fallen far too heavily on the shoulders of Morelos.
Aribo is a crowd pleaser and his gangly, attacking style has the potential to lift fans off their seats.
If Eagles continue to dare, Rangers fans may soon allow themselves to dream.