By Bryian Laudrup
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 he was really missed.
Clearly, Steven Gerrard will be hoping Aribo’s ankle injury heals before Kilmarnock visit Ibrox on Saturday with two obvious aspects to what the 24-year-old does. There is obviously his own game and the skill-set he brings as he has the effect of making the players around him even better.
He brings people into action with his one-twos and with 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 with both Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack 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.
