Rangers managed to go at the top of the table right before the international break as Livingston did them a favour against Celtic and the Gers thrashed Hamilton at home to take a two-point lead. However, it’s still early days in the season, and there is a lot to play before the Rangers fans can jump their gun.
There is some more good news coming the club’s way as Ryan Kent is expected to be back fit after the international break as cited by the Daily Record. What would satisfy Gerrard the most in the past few weeks was that they were able to get the desired results with some key men missing.
Even in the Europa League tie against the Young Boys, they should have got something out of the game. But they were given a sucker punch right at the end. Rangers have two big games lined up after the international break as they will take on Hearts and Porto.
There is no doubt that Ryan Kent will be starting once he becomes a hundred percent fit. His permanent transfer in the summer came as a surprise as nobody expected Rangers to shell out that kind of sum to land him. Gerrard and his team management though were naive to thrust him into action straightaway after he was in limbo at Liverpool for a few weeks. As a result, Kent got injured on his first outing, but thankfully from Gerrard’s point of view, they have evaded the tricky period well.
Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones were also out, and that shows why squad depth is an essential factor in a long season. Sheyi Ojo has been inconsistent so far, but he is a decent option to start in the wide region.
How can Kent make an impact and why Gerrard should be careful?
Rangers fans will love to see Kent running at full tilt at the opposition defenders. His directness and pace made him a fan favourite at the club last season. His final product was questionable in the first few months at Ibrox, but he kept on improving on that front with more experience. Gerrard and fans would expect more goals and assists from the English winger this season.
The manager, though, should assess his situation accurately before giving him game time, and if required, he should slowly ease the former Liverpool man in the first eleven. Kent’s pace and directness will be needed in the clash against Porto as Rangers will travel to take on the Portuguese heavyweights. Maybe Gerrard can think about unleashing him in that game.
