Laudrup Rangers need to find back-up for playmaker Aribo
THERE are times when it takes the unexpected to win a match. A combination of quick thinking and even quicker feet.
Without Joe Aribo, Rangers lacked that spark against Livingston on Sunday. The longer the game went on, the more I felt he was really missed.
Clearly, Steven Gerrard will be hoping Aribo’s ankle injury heals before Kilmarnock visit Ibrox on Saturday.
To me, there are two aspects to what the 24-year-old does. There is obviously his own game and the skill-set he brings.
But I also think he has the effect of making the players around him even better.
He brings people into action with his one-twos and I love the fact that he looks forward every time he gets the ball. That’s exactly what you need in midfield at Rangers. Someone has to be thinking: ‘Where can I find the pockets of space? How do we play between the lines?’
If that is not done as quickly as possible, it becomes hugely difficult against a team such as Livingston — who often played with six across the back.
There will be no space where you want it. The space will be areas you cannot really exploit.
Gerrard was right to say his match-winners didn’t really function on Sunday. It’s their job to produce something in games like this and they couldn’t find a moment of creativity that really mattered.
But it is much more difficult for the opposition if you also have that impetus coming from midfield, through someone who can take people on or drive from deep.
Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack are both very composed, solid players, while Scott Arfield brings a lot of energy.
But no one can quite do the same job as Aribo and I think that showed. Rangers couldn’t find the final piece of the jigsaw.
Later on Sunday, I was in the studio working for Danish television and watched Manchester United against Sevilla. You could see just how quick in thought and movement those players were. With two or three passes they were on the attack.
That’s what is required to put the match-winners into their best possible positions — where they can go one against one or thread passes through.
Aribo’s close control is excellent. Even in tight spaces he can take players on or produce a piece of skill to bring someone else into the game. There were times on Sunday when that could have been invaluable to unlocking something for Rangers.
Operating in those tight situations is something I feel Ianis Hagi and, to a lesser extent, Ryan Kent can improve on. Kent is fantastic running with the ball but sometimes he needs a little more space to do it. With Aribo, the closeness of the situation doesn’t matter. You could see that from the goals he scored in pre-season.
I know Gerrard has been speaking about adding another midfielder. That will be really interesting because perhaps they need one who can offer that bit more creativity if Aribo isn’t available. Those players tend to cost, but there will be some out there who could help the squad.
Against Livingston, a lot of the burden seemed to fall on Kent. You could see in his body language he wanted so badly to be the one who made the difference.
And he was close. He took responsibility. But there are also times when he needs his teammates to get him in the most threatening positions faster.
He’s not a danger if he’s having to drop 40 yards from goal.
Alfredo Morelos could have been sharper at centre-forward and I know people have been very critical of Hagi. While it’s true his season hasn’t really started — and that’s a bit of a concern — I would also ask for some patience.
He’s only 21. There is a different mindset now that he carries a decent price-tag and is no longer just on loan.
Plus, this is a more pressurised environment than Genk.
I can think back to my own experience of joining Bayern Munich at his age after leaving a much smaller Bundesliga club in Bayer Uerdingen.
It was a completely different ball game. If we were beaten in a pre-season game, it was crisis time. The expectation and competition for places was at a totally new level.
Hagi is possibly still going through some of that process. I certainly think he is talented. But to come into such a huge season for Rangers at his age is a pretty extreme experience. Eventually, I feel he will come good.
Overall, Gerrard will know his team can’t afford too many more days like Sunday.
‘Keep calm’ was his message to the players after the match and I understand why he feels things are different to last season.
With Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten trying to adapt as quickly as possible, Rangers definitely do now have more firepower at their disposal than before.
But they still need a balance between players who can put the ball in the back of the net and those who can actually create. The weekend was a little reminder of the work still to be done.