KENT SENDS OUT A CLEAR SIGNAL
No false start this time by £7.5million winger in a ruthless display
IN the search for little signs to make a big difference to Rangers from last season’s disappointment, look no further than this ruthless start from Ryan Kent. It was September 14 before the club’s second most expensive signing and former loan favourite played for Rangers in 2019/2020.
The winger harboured the feeling he was messed about at Melwood last summer before Liverpool informed him he could leave for Ibrox on deadline day for £7.5million.
Then he suffered an injury against Livingston, lasting only 41 minutes. Kent did not start another league game until November 10.
If Rangers are to wrest the title from Celtic then Steven Gerrard is going to need his main players to live up to the billing he has given them over the past two seasons.
Kent comes into that category. The false start didn’t help last year. This was a most pleasing competitive start from the 23-year-old, following a fine pre-season.
His clinical strike, with Alfredo Morelos laying on a splendid assist, sealed a winning curtain-raiser for
Rangers at a venue that has provided problems aplenty for Gerrard.
Now it’s up to Kent, who chipped in with big goals against Celtic and Braga but flattered to deceive at other times, to maintain a consistently high level of performance.
‘I’ve got massive hopes for Ryan Kent,’ stated Gerrard. ‘I showed that by bringing him here full-time and giving him a four-year contract.
‘I’m a huge fan of Ryan and he’ll carry on getting better. He has to get more numbers in his game with assists and goals.
‘But he was outstanding today. He looked really dangerous and put a shift in for the team.
‘He has to forget about that performance now and give me it again. That’s what good players do.
‘They do it relentlessly with performances. That’s where we want to get him to.’
The build-up had been dominated by issues with talismanic strikers in both camps. Morelos, subject of an offer from Lille booted out of Ibrox, was trusted to have his head right.
At least there was no crowd to draw out the demon. Without a goal during pre-season, his through-ball for the winner was an invaluable contribution.
Aberdeen’s top-scorer Sam Cosgrove has been ruled out for three months with a knee injury while his go-to replacement, Curtis Main, also missed out.
Bruce Anderson, with a last-gasp equaliser in this fixture two years ago, found himself isolated as Rangers bossed the entire first half.
Getting the ball to Anderson was the poser set for Derek McInnes as his men couldn’t contain nor keep up with a ferocious Rangers pace throughout the first period.
Teenage striker Ryan Edmondson, signed on loan from Leeds on Friday, replaced Anderson on 64 minutes. While his physical presence gave the home side a focal point amid a flurry of other changes, a Rangers defence that did not concede in pre-season carried on their good work.
The winning goal was the product of Rangers playing out from the back. James Tavernier fizzed a ball upfield in the direction of Ianis Hagi. He cutely dummied for Morelos who spied Kent making his move.
A superbly weighted through-pass sent Kent racing clear of the Aberdeen defence with plenty time to think of how to beat Joe Lewis. Low and clinical was a wise choice.
The early goal was just reward for a vibrant and dominant opening. Rangers seized possession and dragged the Dons all over the pitch.
A deflected Funso Ojo drive from 22 yards was the only first-half test for Allan McGregor, who saved the effort comfortably.
At the other end, the movement of Kent, Morelos and Hagi was full of menace. So, too, was the bulked-up Joe Aribo when he darted forward from a deeper line.
Lewis got down smartly to cradle Hagi’s crack from 20 yards after Aribo’s strength and skill had taken out a few Aberdeen defenders. Again, a clever touch from Morelos in the build-up was key.
Ojo’s frustrations boiled over with a booking for a foul on Hagi.
Aberdeen improved in the second half and came close to forcing the ball over the line after a Matty Kennedy set-play caused a melee at the back post. Referee Bobby Madden called a halt when Leon Balogun was barged into the post, cracking the side of his head.
Rangers will be delighted with the efficiency of Balogun’s debut. The 32-year-old, fresh from a spell at
Wigan, was cool and commanding at the back and used his stride and ball-playing ability to help Rangers burst forward on occasions.
He received a post-match round of applause in the dressing room by staff and team-mates, many of whom have endured difficult days at Pittodrie these past two years.
There was the opening fixture two years ago when Anderson’s stoppage-time equaliser deflated the 10 men after Morelos was redcarded after only 12 minutes.
Then last December, Aberdeen were allowed to claw back a twogoal deficit to claim another draw.
Gerrard was relieved and proud to see his men stand firm here.
When McInnes threw on Edmondson to challenge the Rangers defence, he certainly offered more of a Cosgrove-style threat with his height and strength.
But it was the Fab Four of Morelos, Kent, Aribo and Hagi making pretty patterns at the other end that were more pleasing on the eye.
A stunning move involving the Rangers quartet resulted in Hagi’s drive deflecting off Ash Taylor and whistling just wide of Lewis’ right-hand post.
When Hagi linked with Morelos again, the Colombian striker’s old adversary Scott McKenna excelled with his covering as he took a chunk out of the goal-bound shot.
To confirm that these are strange times, Morelos completed the 90 minutes and Aberdeen’s Mr Nice Guy Andy Considine saw red for only the second time in six years.
The dangerous lunge on Rangers substitute Scott Arfield was a bad one, however, and hampered hopes of an Aberdeen rally.
Considine’s defensive colleague Taylor had to make a last-ditch slide on the line to prevent Aribo from doubling Rangers’ margin of victory in the final moments.