Drinkell so impressed by internal Ibrox rivalry
ALFREDO MORELOS surely didn’t miss the significance. When Josh Windass whipped a first-time finish into the St Johnstone net on Tuesday evening, it was his 16th goal of the season.
For the first meaningful time since his arrival, Morelos was no longer out on his own at the top of the Rangers scoring chart. But if that was the equivalent of a friendly challenge being thrown down, then the Colombian responded in precisely the right way. His supremacy was soon restored.
Early in the second half in Perth, Morelos connected with a James Tavernier cross to flick a header past Alan Mannus. A 17th goal since his £1.2million arrival from HJK Helsinki edged the 21-year-old back in front of his English colleague.
The adage about competition being healthy certainly seems applicable to the Ibrox frontline as they set their sights on ending the season with silverware. And testament to the improvements being engineered by boss Graeme Murty.
Morelos looked in little danger of being usurped until Murty gave Windass more attacking licence just behind the main striker. That role has seen the 24-year-old blossom. Ten goals in his last seven appearances have established him as one of the Premiership’s most potent talents.
Significantly, his rise has not been at the expense of Morelos, whose recent record still stands at four in four. Having Windass breathing down his neck might just provide an additional spur for the weeks ahead.
That is certainly how Kevin Drinkell sees it. Top scorer in his one full season at Ibrox, he is confident Murty can reap the rewards of a cordial rivalry.
‘They will both say the right things publicly, that they are not bothered about which one scores,’ Drinkell told Sportmail. ‘Internally, though, I’m sure they will be trying to outdo each other. There will be a bit of banter in the build-up to games.
‘That can only be healthy for the manager because that friendly competition can drive people forward.
‘It would only be a negative if, for some reason, someone took it upon themselves to be a little bit more selfish to the disadvantage of the team. But I don’t think there’s any sign of that. They are bouncing off each other and that has to be a positive at this stage of the season.’
Drinkell played in an era when strike partnerships were the norm. While the WindassMorelos dynamic is a modern variation, he is impressed that Murty has found such an effective combination.
‘As a manager, you are always trying to find a format that suits your resources and it seems Rangers have that kind of shape now.
‘Morelos has a little bit of the mentality of years gone by. He sees it as the forward’s job to occupy defenders, hold up the ball and bring others into play.
‘Windass has the licence to move around that frontline from a kind of No10 role, which in turn can create space for Morelos. It seems they’re forming that connection.’
Numbers matter to those who make goals their living. Drinkell’s arrival at Ibrox in 1988 brought him into contact with a man who managed a club record 355 during his 15-year reign.
‘I ended up beating Coisty (Ally McCoist) in the one full year I had at Rangers. Mainly, as he would say, because he was injured,’ smiled Drinkell. ‘I played alongside Mark Walters and Ian Ferguson when their positions were shifted. Then Andy Gray came in.
‘There was definitely a rivalry there. On the first day I joined, Walter (Smith) introduced me to a couple of people at the ground. Coisty was there and Walter said: “This is Ally. You’ll be his 23rd partner in the last five years. For God’s sake, don’t score more than him or he’ll make us look for No 24!”
‘I have a wee giggle with him about that. I don’t think that was why I ended up leaving a year and a bit later, but it was kind of quirky that what they said to me actually came true.’
Mo Johnston’s arrival was a more significant factor in his return south to Coventry City. While Rangers can no longer draft in such ready-made stars, Drinkell takes heart from the work being done by Murty and director of football Mark Allen.
‘I am more optimistic because, finally, there seems to be the building of a team,’ he said.
‘I have been really disappointed in the last number of years. When they fell to the bottom level, there was a chance to experiment and build a team but it always seemed to start again after each of the next two or three promotions.
‘It looks better now. They are still quite a way behind Celtic in terms of squad and experience but if they can close the points gap it will help them for the next season and the one after that.’