BVEG IN GERS JOB BID
Miller: O’Halloran still has a Rangers future – if new boss plays him as a striker not a winger
HENNING BERG wants to make a return to Rangers after applying for the vacant manager’s job.
The Norwegian finished his playing career at Ibrox 13 years ago and now believes he can succeed Pedro Caixinha.
Berg has been out of work since leaving Videoton earlier this year when he lost out on the Hungarian
CHARLIE MILLER believes Michael O’Halloran can resurrect his Rangers career and hand the incoming Ibrox manager a massive boost in January.
The former Gers midfielder has watched O’Halloran shine at St Johnstone during a loan spell that appeared to signal the end of his career in Govan under Pedro Caixinha.
But the sacking of the Portuguese has changed everything, according to the nine-in-a-row hero.
And Miller is convinced whoever comes in as manager can benefit from using O’Halloran as an out-and-out attacker and not a winger.
The ex-Scotland Under-21 player was bombed out of the Rangers first-team squad completely by Caixinha in the summer after failing to turn up for an Under-20s match, with the then manager saying O’Halloran was not the type of player Rangers needed.
He was then loaned back to his former employers St Johnstone where he hit the ground running, scoring five goals in his first six games as well as scooping the Premiership Player of the Month award for August.
He then spent a month on the sidelines with an ankle injury before returning to Tommy Wright’s first team in late October. The 26 year-old is due to return to Ibrox in January when his loan deal expires and still has almost three years of his four-and-a-half year deal to run. And Miller said: “Michael O’Halloran did well for St Johnstone when he went on loan at first. “He scored five goals in his first six games and many Rangers supporters were thinking the club had made a mistake by letting him leave. “Any new Rangers manager coming in would have to realise that O’Halloran is not a winger. He’s at his most effective and best when playing straight through the middle as a striker. “I just don’t think O’Halloran is a winger. He is more direct when he’s facing the middle of the goal as he can beat players when he is squared up one on one with them. “He’s the sort of player who can get in behind defences in games that are tight and when Rangers are possibly struggling. “That appears to be his favoured position and I would like to see him playing there when he does come back to Rangers.
“I don’t know what happened to O’Halloran before under Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha but he was frozen out by both managers.
“I would like to think it wasn’t an attitude problem – as he has shown during his loan spell in Perth that it isn’t as he’s scored a lot of goals. So he still has plenty to offer Rangers.”
The former Rangers and Dundee United midfielder reckons if O’Halloran can reproduce that kind of goalscoring form for Rangers he would prove himself to be a valuable asset to the incoming manager.
Miller added: “O’Halloran can most certainly play football.
“He’s gone on a decent scoring run and if he came back to Rangers and replicated that kind of form then I’m sure that would impress any new manager at Ibrox.
“If he came back fit and hungry and wanted to earn a place in the side rather than expect it – and I’m not saying he is that kind of player – and did what he did at St Johnstone and scored goals for Rangers then that would get all the supporters back onside again.
“There would be no problem for him moving forward if he does that.
“His lack of game time at Rangers has not helped him. It’s not worked out for him so far at Ibrox but if he goes back to the club then I’m sure everybody would want to see him do well.
“It’s certainly not too late for him to resurrect his Rangers career. With Caixinha now gone, O’Halloran actually has a great opportunity to prove to the new manager coming in that he has a future at Ibrox.
“Every new manager will look to give all of his squad a chance. Right away he will be assessing who are the good and bad apples in the dressing room.
“He’ll be watching to see who the best trainers are as well as those with the best attitudes.
“They will not want to leave any stone unturned on that front.
“For that reason alone O’Halloran has a definite chance of turning his Rangers career around.”
Speaking in September after he had won the Player of the Month award, O’Halloran himself refused to rule out having a future with the club.
He said: “I’m not sure what the future holds. I’m still contracted to Rangers so I really can’t say anything about that.
“It will be interesting come January to see what happens. I would never say never.”
One thing is for certain – the future now looks a little bit brighter for both O’Halloran and Rangers.
He’s the sort of player who can get in behind defences