ONE has often been the hero on nights just like this. The other is in the form of his life since arriving in Glasgow.
The question of who Giovanni van Bronckhorst chooses to start as the focal point in Rangers’ attack tomorrow evening against Liverpool in the Champions League is one that tends to split the Ibrox fanbase these days.
On the one hand there is Alfredo Morelos. The Colombian has often been the man for the big occasion under the floodlights in Govan – and further afield – during make-or-break continental encounters over the past few years, and the 26-year-old has significant experience of bouts in the European arena. After all, no one has scored more goals in Europe for Rangers than Morelos, who has 29 to his name.
On the other hand, Antonio Colak comes into the Group A fixture in the form of his life. Three consecutive braces in his last three games has helped boost an already healthy goal tally and the Croatian is averaging a goal a game, more or less, since arriving in Glasgow from PAOK in the summer. He could hardly be doing much more to press his claim for a starting berth tomorrow evening.
It leaves Van Bronckhorst with something of a selection headache but it is one that Ally McCoist reckons the Dutchman will relish. Too many attacking options are never a bad thing, the Rangers great stresses, but even the legendary former striker struggles to choose which striker should lead the line against Jurgen Klopp’s side at Ibrox.
McCoist said: “Is it Morelos or Colak? It’s a really tough decision. They bring different things to the party. The front three were non-existent at Anfield against a team who were pressing high and they never got much of the ball.
“In the home games I think Morelos will give you more in terms of free-kicks and up the park. However, Colak is firing and if you get it into the box he will score. He scored a brilliant header at Tynecastle and if you put it into the box he will get on the end of things.
“If you are asking me who I would start, at this time it is a flip of the coin, I couldn’t split them. I would want to see them in training as I think they are both great strikers.
“Colak’s goal return is ridiculous, it’s six goals in three league games. If you look at Morelos over the distance, especially in Europe, that’s the decision Van Bronckhorst has to make.
“I have no doubts he will decide who to start after seeing them in training. They need to score a goal as I don’t know if they can keep Liverpool out for the 90 minutes – so they will need a goal.”
McCoist added: “The confidence Colak has might give him the edge. He came on and he was unlucky not to score at Anfield. That might prey in Gio’s mind.
“The flip-side is the chance comes late on when Rangers have had their best period and Liverpool have maybe taken their foot off the gas.
“He has to weigh all that up. Colak is firing and his confidence will be sky high and he will be bursting to play against Liverpool.
“Colak makes a brilliant run for the second goal at Tynecastle, but from what I have seen, he looks to be someone who likes crosses into the box. Put deliveries in and he thrives on that.”
Colak is quickly earning a reputation as an instinctive penalty-box player. The centre-forward has scored from a few first-time shots already this season but McCoist believes this is a trait the striker shares with Morelos.
“Do you know something – that’s something where he’s maybe a little bit like Morelos as well,” he observed.
“There was a period where Morelos was scoring his goals where I think it suited him not to have too much time to think about it. And if you are a goal scorer I get that. You would rather go on instinct with a half-chance and just react to it normally.
“Sometimes players – and I’m not saying this is Morelos or Colak for a minute because it’s not the case – when their confidence is low and your through on the goalkeeper one v one, that’s not the kind of chance you’re wanting. You’re wanting a chance that you can just react to.
“That is certainly not the case with either of these strikers at the moment but I think the two of them are very instinctive and like one-touch finishes.
“I thought Colak’s finish at the weekend was a fabulous goal. He knows exactly what he is doing as well with the nutmeg – the wee nutmeg and then the shot with the outside of his boot. It was a superb finish.”
With the notable exception of nailed-on starters such as Connor Goldson and James Tavernier, a good few spots in the starting XI are up for grabs heading into the Liverpool game.
McCoist believes that the competition for places is healthy and Van Bronckhorst will welcome this particular selection headache as it allows the Rangers manager to ponder different ways for his side to hurt tomorrow’s opponents.
“He made a few changes at the weekend but the fact of the matter is that he is now in a position where he has got one or two options,” McCoist added. “There are no real 100-per-cent certainties to start, although you might argue that’s Allan McGregor now – and he wasn’t a certainty at the start of the season.
“There are no guarantees but it should be good, it should keep people on their toes and make sure that they perform when they come in. But you look at the disappointment of the performance in an attacking sense at Anfield – that can’t happen again because you have got to pose Liverpool problems in this particular game.”
Ally McCoist was speaking at the launch of William Hill’s newly transformed, state-of-the-art shop on Gordon Street, Glasgow.
