Laff ready to get down to the serious business now
RANGERS Boyd senses Lafferty is set to step up a level following
KRIS Boyd passed up a giltedged chance to both secure a famous European victory for Rangers and book a place in the Champions League quarter-finals the last time the Ibrox club visited the El Madrigal.
The striker was, with his side drawing 1-1 on the night and 3-3 on aggregate, unable to convert an opportunity late on in the last-16 encounter with the star-studded Spaniards in a back in 2006.
Alex McLeish’s men, who had become the first Scottish club to make it out of the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition, ended up being knocked out by Manuel Pellegrini’s charges on away goals after a valiant effort.
But Boyd is confident that Steven Gerrard has a player at his disposal who will be able to net when Rangers square up to their old adversaries again in their opening Europa League group game tomorrow evening – new signing Kyle Lafferty.
Lafferty has done well since returning to the Ibrox club for a second spell from Hearts last month; he helped them beat Ufa of Russia 1-0 in the first leg of their playoff and then netted a double on his first start in a 3-3 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park.
The Northern Ireland internationalist is almost certain to start up front tomorrow evening as Alfredo Morelos in suspended and Umar Sadiq hasn’t played since he came on as a late substitute against Kilmarnock in a Betfred Cup game at Rugby Park over a month ago.
Boyd, now playing for Kilmarnock and providing his expert analysis of Scottish football for Sky Sports, believes he will be a far greater threat for his former club now the excitement of his return to Rangers has subsided.
“I think Kyle will have been playing on adrenaline since signing for Rangers last month,” he said as he attended a McDonald’s and SFA community football day. “He has gone back to the club he loves and will have been so happy.
“But now he has got international duty out of the way I think we will see a different player. He will get back to doing what he does best. He can be a handful for any team both in Scotland and in Europe.”
Morelos being ruled out as a result of his ordering off in the second leg of the Ufa double header means that Gerrard will only go with one player in attack against Villarreal tomorrow night.
But Boyd, who enjoyed his best season at Ibrox in the 2008/09 campaign when he played up front alongside Kenny Miller, believes the Liverpool and England great should persevere with the Morelos-Lafferty partnership going forward.
“I always feel as if a club like Rangers should have two strikers up front,” he said. “They create so many chances. If everything is done properly in terms of the midfield, if the midfielders are willing to run beyond the strikers and create opportunities, then I think it can be successful.
“It didn’t really work at Celtic Park, but you have to look at the big picture. Celtic are by far the dominant force in the country.
“They had lost one of their last 41 league games at home under Brendan Rodgers and that was after they had won