Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has told Rangers TV that midfielder Juninho Bacuna is set for more playing time at Ibrox in the coming weeks.
The Gers drew 1-1 with Motherwell on Sunday afternoon. Fashion Sakala scored for the Gers, but Kaiyne Woolery bagged a leveller for the visitors.
Rangers just haven’t looked themselves this season. Sure, they sit top of the Scottish Premiership table, but without being at their best.
Gerrard comments on Bacuna
Rangers do have another play to unleash, and they will have big hopes for him.
Playmaker Juninho Bacuna joined Rangers from Huddersfield Town in August.
The 24-year-old came on against Motherwell, playing 14 minutes in his debut for the club.
Bacuna, a Curacao international, is expected to make a big impact in Rangers’ midfield – and he has now been praised by Steven Gerrard.
Gerrard called Bacuna a ‘major talent’, believing he is now ‘more robust’ and looks ready to play for Rangers.
Gerrard noted that Bacuna probably wants more game time, and that will be coming imminently.
“He’s looking more and more ready now,” said Gerrard. “When he came in, we knew he hadn’t had a pre-season, he was training alone at Huddersfield.
“He’s got major talent. You can see some of the positions he picked up today, some of the little combinations he’s looking for. Okay, he might be looking at me and thinking, ‘I want a little bit more game time’, which is good, it’s a good place to be in.”
“There’s going to be an opportunity for him very soon because he’s looking more ready now than when he first came. He’s fitter, he’s a bit more robust and he knows a little bit more about our style and how we want to play now, so I think more opportunities for him are imminent,” he added.
Rangers need Bacuna to unlock attack
Rangers have lacked fluency going forward this season.
John Lundstram hasn’t impressed in midfield, Ryan Kent is out injured and Alfredo Morelos looks out of nick.
Rangers need some creativity going forward; a player who can unlock defences who sit deep and can knit the attack together.
Over the course of his career, Bacuna averages 0.8 key passes – passes directly leading to shots – per game.
Rangers need that number to increase. Nine assists in his last two seasons at Huddersfield is decent, but again, it needs to increase at Ibrox.
1.8 dribbles per game in the 2019-20 season is encouraging, but Rangers really need Bacuna to take big leaps forward to solve their problems.
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