TREBLE WAS PROOF ROOFE IS MAIN MAN
Novo insists striker can save season
SUNDAY offered the first evidence that Rangers’ season might not be cut completely to ribbons after Alfredo Morelos underwent thigh surgery.
Kemar Roofe’s hat-trick came against a St Mirren team seemingly locked in a downward spiral. Even so, the timing of it could hardly have been more significant.
After back-to-back defeats against Celtic and Braga without Morelos, Giovanni van Bronckhorst badly needed signs of attacking hope ahead of a campaign-defining week in which they will face the same opponents in reverse order.
Goals are required on Thursday night when Rangers seek to wipe out Braga’s 1-0 first-leg advantage and reach the Europa League semi-finals. Then, three days later, comes a hugely important trip to Hampden.
With retaining the Premiership title now a long shot, victory in the Old Firm Scottish Cup semi-final may well hold the key to any domestic achievement in a season that once promised much more.
Former Ibrox striker Nacho Novo is acutely aware the pressure will be on. Yet, he has full faith in Roofe delivering where it counts — if given the right support — as Rangers seek joy in Europe and at home.
‘Roofe is a great player,’ insisted Novo (right). ‘He has been given more minutes recently because of Morelos’ injury.
‘He is always in the right place and he showed that against St Mirren on Sunday.
‘Morelos will be a big miss as he is one of the best players in the team.
‘Since he has come to Rangers he is getting better and better every year.
‘But he is injured now and Roofe has to prove he can play every game and score goals. For his first two goals on Sunday, he found a yard of space inside the area and he is so clever.
‘It’s a difficult thing to do but he found that area. He knew where the ball was going to be and showed he knows where the goal is.
‘It will be good for him to get the chance to show he can be
Rangers’ No 1 striker. Does it take games to get up to sharpness? It can do but I think it is up to the player to show they are ready when needed.
‘I have been there myself and it can be difficult not playing, but it’s up to you to be fit and sharp.
‘I believe if you are training full-time every single day and you push yourself to the limit then you are good to go when the manager needs you. He has shown what he can do, so I don’t think he needs time.
‘It will be interesting but I believe in him 100 per cent.’
Scorer of 33 goals for Rangers since his £3.5million arrival from Anderlecht in August 2020, Roofe started up front in the costly Premiership defeat to Celtic earlier this month.
He made little impact on proceedings that afternoon, yet a switch to Fashion Sakala fared even worse in Braga as Van Bronckhorst’s men failed to register a shot on target last week in Portugal.
Against that backdrop, Novo has no doubt about who should be given the central responsibility in the coming showdowns.
‘For me, I think Roofe is the main man right now,’ continued the 43-year-old Spaniard, a Rangers player between 2004 and 2010.
‘He is a totally different player to Morelos. But I think he can play wherever he wants to. He’s good through the middle or on the wing.
‘If he is up front on his own, he needs to have that support coming from midfield. Ryan Kent is playing well again and impacting games.
‘The players will know where
Roofe likes to receive the ball and his movements after working with him.
‘Joe Aribo is another who will need to create chances for Kemar to score more goals.’
A further notable aspect of Sunday’s victory was the positive performance produced by Steven Davis following his introduction for the injured John Lundstram midway through the first half.
Five minutes against Hearts had been the 37-year-old’s only previous Premiership appearance in 2022. That statistic puzzles Novo.
A team-mate of Davis as Rangers reached the 2008 UEFA Cup final, he is adamant about the continuing quality of the Northern Ireland captain.
‘I’m surprised he’s not played a bit more under Giovanni,’ said Novo. ‘To be honest, he is the best midfielder at Rangers.
‘There’s no doubt about it — he can still go. He is so fit he can probably play till 40.
‘He is a great player. I don’t know what happens on the training ground or what Gio sees so I can’t comment on why he’s not played so much. But if it was down to me, he would play every game.
‘He has years left in him. He is fit and dictating games. He has played in the best leagues and I think he will have a big part to play in the remainder of the season.
‘I’d like to see him beside Ryan Jack. I love Ryan Jack. And probably Glen Kamara. For me that would be the (midfield) three. The good thing is they have good options in there.’ lNacho Novo was promoting exclusively live Premier Sports coverage of Celtic v Rangers this Sunday from 1pm. Premier Sports is available on Sky, Virgin TV and the Premier Player from £9.99 per month, and on Amazon Prime as an add-on subscription.