Kyle Lafferty’s comeback to the Ibrox was met with a lot of positivity as he was in prime form in the last year for Hearts Of Midlothian. Also, let us not forget about the winner he scored against Celtic while he was still at Hearts. That would have indeed gone well with the Gers faithful.
The 31-year-old started well as he scored a brace against Motherwell but off late Alfredo Morelos’ form has kept him on the bench. Steven Gerrard tried using both of them in the starting lineup with Lafferty often playing down the wide areas, but that didn’t work out. Slowly it’s becoming clear that Lafferty is only going to be used as a backup option to the Colombian striker.
However, his goal-scoring instincts and prowess are such that one would want a player like him in the team. We believe he can still be tried and partnered up with Morelos up front. We don’t usually see teams going in with two strikers, and it seems clear that this formula has taken a backseat nowadays as managers prefer to have an extra man in midfield who would keep things tight and ticking. But against teams, who would be expected to sit back, Lafferty could play as a secondary striker with Morelos where the formation can look like a 4-4-1-1.
The Northern Irish international’s linkup play is quite decent and we feel the two forwards can forge a good partnership especially against teams who would be willing to test the team’s resolve by defending deep. Lafferty has played in wide regions before, but he hardly gets to see goalmouth action from such positions. Therefore, that way his best side of the game is being negated. So playing the forward down the flanks is a big no-no in our opinion.
The 31-year old forward tends to score in big games, and we saw how he handled himself against Villarreal when Morelos was missing due to suspension. The Gers didn’t create many opportunities, but they took their chances well and earned a well-deserved draw with Lafferty scoring a perfect poachers’ goal from the box.
Morelos’s form has been fantastic of late but dare we say that now he could be targetted by bigger clubs in the future. The Colombian has already expressed his desire to play in the Premier League so if an offer comes from the south, the striker’s head can definitely turn.
It’s clear that Gerrard won’t allow him to go for cheap but English clubs have the might to match the asking price, and so one cannot completely rule that out. We believe Lafferty is still a critical player from the future’s point of view and even though he hasn’t featured off late, the experienced man can play a crucial role if Rangers are to achieve something significant this season.
