pete 2,499 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 IT is the problem that shouldn't have been for Rangers but one that has plagued them throughout the campaign. Christopher Jack Sports Journalist Tuesday 21/04/2015 Goals win games and Rangers have not scored enough or won enough this season as they have been left in a fight for the Championship consolation prize rather than involved in a two-way battle with Hearts for the second tier crown. There is not a Rangers player in the top ten in the Championship scoring charts, with Nicky Law the leading Ibrox marksman with nine league goals to his name. The arrival of Haris Vuckic has added a much needed touch of quality and goal threat to the Gers attack, with the seven-goal Newcastle star the inspiration behind the recent resurgence under Stuart McCall. If that run is to continue and Rangers are to clinch a top flight return, McCall will need goals from his forward line. Here, SportTimes looks at how the strikers have fared and what impact they could have in the promotion battle. KRIS BOYD Games: 40 Goals: 10 The capture of Boyd was seen as the final piece in the jigsaw and the move that would take Rangers some way to the Championship title before a ball was kicked this term but it hasn't been a happy homecoming for the Scottish Premier League's all-time record scorer. It took him until October before he finally netted in the Championship as found the target in the 6-1 win over Raith at Ibrox but the floodgates never opened. The 31-year-old has been the target of stinging judgements from supporters but has often been his own harshest critic as he has failed to live up to expectations and get anywhere near the 20-plus goal target he had set for himself. His chances under McCall in recent week have been limited and he was once again on the bench on Saturday as Ryan Hardie made his first start for the club. Goals may have been hard to come by this season but he has the ability to get back to his free-scoring best and there is no reason why he can't finish the campaign on a high and still fire Rangers back to the top flight. KENNY MILLER Games: 33 Goals: 7 It has not been third time lucky for Miller at Ibrox. Reunited with Boyd after a four season separation, the former Scotland striker has struggled to roll back the years. The fear for Rangers fans was that, at 35, Miller had peered over the precipice and was too far down the road towards retirement to make a real impact this season. He has undoubtedly lost that electric turn of foot that made him into a hero for club and country but he has still stepped up to the plate when it has mattered, his goals against Hibernian and Hearts in recent weeks crucial to Rangers' play-off ambitions. The partnership with Nicky Clark has shown signs of promise over the last few matches and Miller's experience will stand the Light Blues in good stead as they look to get over the finishing line. NICKY CLARK Games: 37 Goals: 8 The arrival of McCall at Ibrox has given Clark a new lease of life as he has been handed an extended run in the team and equipped himself well in recent weeks. Four goals in his last eight games is a decent return but he has never looked like the player who scored more than 40 times for Queen of the South to win his move to Rangers two years ago. His energy and work-rate have seen him emerge as a key part of the McCall plan but Clark has also missed his fair share of chances and can't be seen as a reliable scorer. That is not to say he can't play a big part in the coming weeks, however. He is clearly a player that McCall sees something in and rates highly enough to stick by so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Clark lead the Rangers charge towards the Premiership. There would be no better time than the play-offs for the 23-year-old to silence the doubters amongst the Ibrox support and prove his worth. JON DALY Games: 28 Goals: 4 Rangers' top scorer as they cruised to the League One title last term, it has been a second season to forget for Daly at Ibrox. After undergoing knee surgery in the summer and missing the important pre-season schedule, Daly has never got up to speed this term. On his day, his physical presence makes him a match for any defensive line in the league but he has not been able to recapture the form that saw him net 21 times last term. A knee injury has kept him out of action since the 2-2 draw with Alloa a month ago and, with his contract up at the end of the season, time is running out for the Irishman to make an impact at Ibrox. DEAN SHIELS Games: 23 Goals: 4 Undoubtedly capable of producing better than he has shown for most of his Rangers career, Shiels could yet play a key role for McCall's men this season. The Northern Irishman has spent recent weeks in a deeper central midfield role but was deployed further forward, and often wide, by McCoist and Kenny McDowall earlier in the campaign. Frequent changes in position and long spells out of the side mean he has never been able to get fully up to speed or hit a consistent run of form. Another who has been rejuvenated by McCall's methods, Shiels has the quality to be central to Rangers' plans but faces a sizeable task to convince fans he is worthy of another chance. RYAN HARDIE Games: 5 Goals: 2 After a dream day at Dumbarton, it will be interesting to see if McCall sticks by Hardie for the visit of Falkirk this weekend. The 18-year-old has always looked a prospect whenever he has been given a chance to impress and got his rewards at the Rock with a well taken double. It would be a big call from his manager to put his faith in him in games of such importance in the coming weeks but it could be the making of the Ibrox kid. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERRAB 3,731 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 I'd be surprised if Boyd,Miller or Daly featured again this season. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete 2,499 Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 I'd be surprised if Boyd,Miller or Daly featured again this season. I think they will at some point. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gribz 913 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Players usually go to the MLS to finish their career. We have brought Miller and Boyd BACK from that league and it is clearly showing. I certainly agree Miller shouldn't have left 2nd time around or could have been brought back before moving to Vancouver but taking him back last year was too late. Ive said all I need to say about Boyd over the years. Kevin Kyle, Jon Daly and Kris Boyd....triplets on the pitch. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankie 8,651 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 The strikers have been largely crap but, to be fair to them, our style of play and inability to create enough chances of note don't help. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Germinal 27 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Whoever wrote and/or edited that wants sacked. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rousseau 10,812 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 (edited) I think they will at some point. Miller will certainly play again, but I would be surprised if Daly did -- i'm not sure he's fit enough, and there are so many ahead of him -- and Boyd I think has dropped out, but I can see him play a small role in the final 10 minutes of games. I was convinced Boyd would come good, as he always seemed to get a few chances a game, which I think was down to his movement -- not pace obviously, but that knack for finding space. The problem for Boyd has been his finishing; he's not recaptured that ability. Our game plans played a part but I think his failure is down to him ultimately. They are all past it now, unfortunately. It is a shame, because they were all good players -- even exceptional at times --, but they've had their day. I would be surprised, and disappointed, if any got new deals. Edited April 23, 2015 by Rousseau 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,761 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Hardie & Gallagher are the future and worth playing now 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,803 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Transfermarkt gives you a neat list of all the achievments of each of these players, a decent enough evaluation et al. 2014/15 overall stats (plus Championship average game time) are below, but you obviously have to dig deeper than that. There is no doubt that we need freshening up the attacking with people who score regularly, be that youngsters, Vuckic, or Mohsni ... Centre forwards: Kenny Miller - 35 games, 7 goals, 5 assists (CS avg. game time 68 mins) Kris Boyd - 44 games, 12 goals, 9 assists (CS avg. game time 58 mins) Jon Daly - 32 games, 4 goals, 2 assists (CS avg. game time 35 mins) Nicky Clark - 40 games, 8 goals, 4 assists (CS avg. game time 61 mins) Ryan Hardie - 5 games, 2 goals, 0 assists (CS avg. game time 34 mins) Attacking Midfielders Dean Shiels - 24 games, 5 goals, 3 assists (CS avg. game time 43 mins) Haris Vuckic - 14* games, 8 goals, 2 assists (CS avg. game time 70 mins) *only games in Scotland Our main problem is that ALL our strikers have all been utterly unproductive in front of goals this season, and for a inexplicably long time at that. Even before McCall entered the fray, we usually had 10 to 20 shots at goal. Last season, we converted a decent enough percentage of those, cancelling out the goals the opposition managed against our dubious defence. This season, the oppositions goals per shots ratio remained the essentially same, but our goals per shots ratio was horrible. It beggars belief that the managers stuck to the misfiring strikers for that long. For at the end of the day, you have to change things if it doesn't work, even if that means that a trusted warhorse gets benched and a colt is being blooded. BTW, as was said during the interview with him screened at HT last weekend, Boyd said the manager keeps faith with him as he is scoring regularly in training et al and doing not much differently play-wise when it matters in the Championship. It just does not happening for him and he accepts being benched. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rousseau 10,812 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Transfermarkt gives you a neat list of all the achievments of each of these players, a decent enough evaluation et al. 2014/15 overall stats (plus Championship average game time) are below, but you obviously have to dig deeper than that. There is no doubt that we need freshening up the attacking with people who score regularly, be that youngsters, Vuckic, or Mohsni ... Centre forwards: Kenny Miller - 35 games, 7 goals, 5 assists (CS avg. game time 68 mins) Kris Boyd - 44 games, 12 goals, 9 assists (CS avg. game time 58 mins) Jon Daly - 32 games, 4 goals, 2 assists (CS avg. game time 35 mins) Nicky Clark - 40 games, 8 goals, 4 assists (CS avg. game time 61 mins) Ryan Hardie - 5 games, 2 goals, 0 assists (CS avg. game time 34 mins) Attacking Midfielders Dean Shiels - 24 games, 5 goals, 3 assists (CS avg. game time 43 mins) Haris Vuckic - 14* games, 8 goals, 2 assists (CS avg. game time 70 mins) *only games in Scotland Our main problem is that ALL our strikers have all been utterly unproductive in front of goals this season, and for a inexplicably long time at that. Even before McCall entered the fray, we usually had 10 to 20 shots at goal. Last season, we converted a decent enough percentage of those, cancelling out the goals the opposition managed against our dubious defence. This season, the oppositions goals per shots ratio remained the essentially same, but our goals per shots ratio was horrible. It beggars belief that the managers stuck to the misfiring strikers for that long. For at the end of the day, you have to change things if it doesn't work, even if that means that a trusted warhorse gets benched and a colt is being blooded. BTW, as was said during the interview with him screened at HT last weekend, Boyd said the manager keeps faith with him as he is scoring regularly in training et al and doing not much differently play-wise when it matters in the Championship. It just does not happening for him and he accepts being benched. You have summed up the last two years perfectly: Defense has remained the same (poor); Chances created has remained the same (average); goals scored has dropped substantially. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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