Rangers 2-0 Coventry: Joe Aribo impresses as Gerrard issues plea

Ibrox manager has strong message for the board
Rangers' Joe Aribo opens the scoring against Coventry City. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA WireRangers' Joe Aribo opens the scoring against Coventry City. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire
Rangers' Joe Aribo opens the scoring against Coventry City. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

The most enlightening aspect of Rangers’ friendly win over Coventry City at Ibrox came with Steven Gerrard’s reaction to it.

The Ibrox squad may have delivered four straight pre-season victories and scored ten goals while conceding none – with the English League One champions added to the scalps of Nice, Lyon and Motherwell – but Gerrard was unequivocal that he does not have sufficient quality to deliver the success he seeks this season. Or, more pointedly, wrest the title away from a Celtic side hunting ten-in-a-row.

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“We need more,” he said starkly when asked about how he felt his pool was shaping up following the summer additions of Leon Balogun, Jon McLaughlin and Calvin Bassey. “I have told the club that; I’ve been honest and open with what I feel we need. In terms of where we are at from a financial point of view, these are questions for other people, but I have made it quite clear that we need to add to what we’ve got.

“We need to add players into the XI to make us stronger and then, naturally, that will make the squad stronger. At the moment, we still need to get people in the door.”

The hamstring injury sustained by Jermain Defoe in the 4-0 midweek win over Motherwell makes the central striking area the department where bolstering is required. Not least because Alfredo Morelos, in passing up a couple of glaring chances against Coventry, betrayed elements of the sluggishness that stalked him in the two months before the season was curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic in mid-March. The Colombian, indeed, hasn’t found the net in pre-season, unlike his understudy and now sidelined fellow forward, Defoe.

“We’re still waiting for a scan result [on Defoe] but we know it’s a hamstring. In terms of the length he’ll be out we’re not too sure just yet,” Gerrard said. “Normally with the hamstring and Jermain’s age, you’re looking at a minimum of two weeks. That’s the one area that’s giving me a slight concern as we haven’t got enough numbers in that area. But we are actively looking to try to add in that area.”

Gerrard may be heartened that his team have prospered without any goal input from Morelos during this past fortnight. Against Mark Robins’ obdurate visitors – chosen because they would ape the approach of visiting teams to Ibrox – Rangers initially struggled to create openings. With nine of the Coventry starting XI replaced at half-time, the opportunities began to present themselves. Joe Aribo, as he has in the course of pre-season, impressed once again for his ability to provide penetration with his forward propulsion.

Deployed on the left of a midfield three, Gerrard’s deliberate move to drop him back from the forward line has had the desired effect. In the 50th minute, Aribo, inset, darted forward into the box and slipped the ball to Morelos, whose clever flick sent the Nigerian international in on goal and allowed him to bury the ball into the far corner.

“Wherever we play Joe he always tries to make things happen,” Gerrard said. “He’s come back in a fantastic place. He’s come back fitter, he’s come back focused and all I ask is that he takes his pre-season performances into the season.”

One other notable presence for the home side yesterday was Filip Helander. His introduction in the 62nd minute made for the Swede’s first appearance in a senior context for the club since he suffered a foot injury during the Betfred Cup final in December. He unsurprisingly looked rusty and Gerrard said the club will attempt to organise another friendly in midweek to give him more minutes before assessing whether he could have a role in the club’s Premiership opener at Aberdeen on Saturday.

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Rangers’ second goal came in the 67th minute. It was the product of James Tavernier dropping a free-kick on to the head of Connor Goldson for the defender to flick past sub keeper Ben Wilson.

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