Malik Tillman seals lofty Rangers comparison but Kris Boyd not convinced by hectic Hibs win – pundit watch
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Malik Tillman has received glowing praise after his inspired performance for Rangers – but there’s been a warning put down to his team-mates and new boss after a 3-2 victory over Hibs on their return to Premiership action.
An action-packed encounter brought in a hectic start to the Michael Beale era at Ibrox as they found themselves 1-0 then 2-1 down to their visitors through Ryan Porteous and Kevin Nisbet goals sandwiching a Fashion Sakala leveller. Tillman then turned up the heat at a freezing Ibrox with two assists for Ryan Jack and Alfredo Morelos to ensure his new gaffer went home with maximum points.
Former Hibs boss Jack Ross was impressed by the Bayern Munich loanee and likened him to Joe Aribo on Sky Sports, the versatile playmaker Rangers sold to Southampton in the summer transfer window. He explained: “I think it’s finding out exactly where to play. For me, there’s that positional aspect similar to when Joe Aribo was here. Does he play as part of a front three or as part of a midfield three? I think he has that quality high up the park.
“He runs beyond and then it comes down to real quality. To have the awareness of where Morelos was, that was terrific.”
Fellow pundit and Rangers hero Kris Boyd took a measured approach to his former side’s first win under their new boss, insisting that the January and summer transfer windows next year will be massive for the club.
He explained: “There’s no doubt when they inject a bit of sharpness, Rangers look like a different team. But you need to see it more often.
“It’s one game. At this point in time it’s three points for Rangers and that’s pretty much all you can take from it. To come back from 2-1 down, fine, fair enough.
“But there was a lot of players who know they can do better, there’s no doubt about it. Alfredo Morelos in the first half was hardly involved but he managed to get his goal, so you’d expect him to kick on from there.
“Malik Tillman, he can be a threat. But you want to see it more and more. Ryan Kent, you can see he has that freedom again but again, you’re looking for more. There’s no doubt it’s going to be a work in progress.
“The next two transfer windows are going to be absolutely crucial for Rangers Football Club going forward.”