Boss wants ‘young Ballack’ Tillman to extend his stay
MALIK TILLMAN stole the show on Michael Beale’s Ibrox return, prompting the new Rangers boss to make a big comparison as he declared his wish to sign the Bayern Munich loanee on a permanent contract.
Beale saw shades of Leverkusen legend Michael Ballack in the way Tillman claimed his two first-half goals against Bundesliga opponents.
Signed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the summer transfer window, the 20-year-old Tillman has struggled to nail down a regular starting place but Beale insists he would endorse the club activating their option to buy the USA international at the end of the season.
He said: ‘Malik is exactly what I like in a footballer. He can take the ball, he can twist and turn, he’s 20 and you can see what he could grow into.
‘He’s the exact type of player we want at this club. I don’t know the exact fee or where we are going to get it from but if we can do it, I would definitely sign Malik Tillman.
‘He’s a player who will always perform better in a team that’s confident and playing on the front foot. Playing against a German team was important for him and the two finishes were fantastic.
‘I don’t want to go too far, but it was like a young Michael Ballack used to play, arriving from deep and the header off the set-play.’
The two Tillman goals were different in execution yet sprung from the same source.
This season James Tavernier appears to have lost his attacking lustre, yet there were signs the World Cup break has been good for the Ibrox captain.
His first assist came from a characteristically powerful run forward, with Tillman sweeping home the cross for a first-time finish. The next saw Tavernier deliver a near-post corner with Tillman leaping high and strong for a powerful headed effort.
With 10 minutes remaining Tavernier struck a poor penalty against the post but substitute Scott Arfield rounded off the scoring after some muscular set-up play by Alfredo Morelos.
Beale had started with a makeshift back four that saw Tavernier and youngster
Adam Devine flanking the central pairing of James Sands and Leon King.
However, Beale revealed that he could have Connor Goldson back for the Premiership restart against Hibs at Ibrox on Thursday.
Goldson has not played since hobbling out of the home Champions League defeat to Liverpool two months ago with a thigh injury and is ahead of schedule in his recovery programme.
Beale added: ‘If everything goes to plan, then I will have four options and not two for Thursday.
‘The plan is that Ben (Davies) and Connor will return to training in the next 24 to 48 hours, which will be hugely important to the group.
‘Connor is ahead of schedule and I know he just wants to get out there and play. I won’t rush him because I want him to be fit for as many games as possible between now and the end of the season.’
Beale also reacted to transfer speculation linking midfielder Glen Kamara with a move, with Nantes joining Nice and Salernitana on the list of clubs quoted. The manager said: ‘If the real Glen Kamara plays football, there will always be teams who want him. For the last few months, he’s not always performed at the levels he can but I’d always want him in a Rangers team that I was coaching or watching.
‘In terms of the speculation, the best version of Glen is too good to play for some of the clubs that are after him, in my opinion.’
RANGERS (4-2-3-1): McGregor (McLaughlin 46); Tavernier, Sands, King (McCann 85), Devine (Fraser 85); Jack (Davis 46), Kamara (Lundstram 46); Tillman (Arfield 46), Kent (Wright 46), Matondo (Sakala 46 (Lowry 71); Colak (Morelos 46).
B LEVERKUSEN (4-2-3-1): Hradecky; Azhil, Tah, Tapsoba, Sinkgraven; Andrich, Demirbay; Diaby, Sertdemir, Adli; Hlozek.