Ex Zambia manager AIjosa Asanovic reckons Rangers need to unleash Fashion Sakala and play him as a No.10.
Sakala has struggled for minutes under Gio van Bronckhorst this season and the vast majority of the playing time he has had has seen him play out wide. Antonio Colak and Alfredo Morelos have been the men trusted up top with Sakala's electric pace often used on the wing, and usually off the bench.
It means he has just one goal in 12 appearances for Rangers this season and Asanovic, who briefly managed him before giving up the Zambia job earlier this year, reckons his poor return is down to the fact he is being under-utilised out wide. With Rangers struggling to score goals at the same level as rivals Celtic, bowing out of the Champions League with just two to their name, Asanovic reckons using Sakala in the same role as he did could be the key to unlocking defences.
He said: “I’m a big fan of Fashion. He was a big part of our squad for the World Cup qualifiers, he scored against Equatorial Guinea and Tunisia, as well as getting a hat-trick against Mauritania.
"If I was the coach of Rangers, I know where he would play — and it wouldn’t be on the wing. The way Zambia played, Patson Daka of Leicester was my main striker, but Fashion was behind him as a No 10. Listen, I’m a coach, I understand the coach of Rangers will see it differently. He sees Fashion’s pace and uses it wide, I get why he does that.
“But for us, he could make his runs beyond the striker and it was hard for opponents to deal with. On the wing, he has to expend energy going back to help my countryman Borna Barisic on the left, or the Rangers right-back.
“Fashion is a good player, though — as well as pace, he has a really good shot. I watch the Champions League every week and I know it has been disappointing for Rangers. How many did they score? Not many! It’s a great club but sometimes the coach has to take a little risk to see if he can get more from his squad. Maybe that risk is to give Fashion more freedom in their line-up.
“He’s a guy who has something different and Rangers deserve credit for seeing him when he played at Oostende in Belgium. Modern football isn’t a kindergarten but sometimes you have to find time to nurture players at first.
“With a guy like Borna, you don’t need to worry, he has that character inside him. Not all players do. But I loved working with Fashion and I really hope he does well in Scotland. He plays for a big club in a great stadium and has a nice lifestyle. But in Zambia he’s so proud to play for the national team and people like that about him.”
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