By Valencia05
FASHION SAKALA sparked Rangers into life as the Ibrox men showed they are ready for a title fight after taking three points from a testing trip to Tannadice.
The Light Blues were subdued during the first 45 minutes but Sakala was a shining light after the break with a goal and an assist as Michael Beale’s unbeaten start as boss stretched to six games.
Beale said: “We had control of the game, but we were lacking quality in the final third in the first half. “We got into good areas, but Dundee United sat deep, made it tricky for us.
“At half-time we spoke about running off the ball more to disrupt, upping our focus and our quality. We did that and it became a very comfortable game.
“This is a difficult place to come and play, and they seemed in good form. That’s the most pleased I’ve been after a match because I thought as the away team, we were never in danger.”
Coming into this clash, four wins and a draw from his first five matches in charge was an impressive restart to life at Rangers. However, there is never any chutzpah from the Ibrox manager.
While The Beatles’ talked about a Revolution, Beale talks about solutions.How to plot a pathway to the title, no matter how unlikely that denouement looked when he took charge on November 28.
Indeed, it would be foolish to be bullish by making statements of intent off the pitch, but Beale never shies away from being bold on it.
Following last week’s Old Firm draw, the manager brought in Jon McLaughlin, Ryan Jack and Antonio Colak to the starting XI, with the trio replacing Allan McGregor, Glen Kamara and Alfredo Morelos, who took their places on the subs’ bench.
It’s not often Scottish football gets the Super Sunday slots on Sky Sports – but the SPFL’s broadcast partner had no real choice as the English Premier League headline acts were in FA Cup action this weekend on ITV and BBC.
The unusual Sunday kick-off time must have caught the Dundee United fans off guard judging by the number of tangerine seats left empty as referee Steven McLean’s whistle started the game under the lights as sun sneaked away after a rare outing in Tayside.
After some one-touch football from both teams (one touch then out of touch), there were murmurs from the Rangers fans in the ninth minute as Connor Goldson was left free in the box to head towards goal from a James Tavernier corner and the ball appeared to hit a United arm in the box. Quick VAR check. No penalty. Murmurs over.
Until the 22nd minute that is. Goldson once again had a hand in the action following two half-chances for the home side. Ex-Ger Glenn Middleton twice raced clear down the left and fired in crosses as the Rangers defence and McLaughlin in goal survived both to limit the damage to a corner.
The ball was swung in from the right and – like manna from heaven for conspiracy theorists – it struck Goldson on the arm. You could almost hear the shouts of “Penalty! Has to be… this time!” from rival fans watching at home. Well, no, it wasn’t…………..
As for action at the other end of the pitch, there was little to speak of. Fashion Sakala ran about, Colak didn’t. Ryan Kent reverted to his ‘head down, admiring his fancy footwork’ style, the other Ryan looked lost with the game passing him by. Half-time arrived just in time.
Beale, faced with 45 minutes to save any hopes of a title challenge, swapped Morelos for Colak perhaps more in hope than expectation.
The second half was only two minutes under way when Rangers created their best chance of the game so far. Borna Barisic lofted over a deep cross and Sakala connected at the back post to tap the ball towards goal, but he was denied by a fine save from United keeper Mark Birighitti.
One chance denied but it sparked Rangers into life. And, quick as a flash, they were 2-0 ahead.
The aforementioned lost-looking Ryan of the first half took posession and slid a perfect pass into Sakala. The Zambian cushioned the Ball from Jack then rocketed it past Birighitti in 54 minutes to the delight of the 5,000-strong Rangers fans in full voice.
They didn’t have time to clear their throats or pause for breath as less than two minutes later their team scored again.
The smiling Sakala, his name ringing round the ground in a rendition of the catchiest football chant for many a year, received a pass from skipper Tavernier. Looking up, he fired in a shot that was pushed away by Birighitti into the path of 20-year-old Tillman, who slotted home in style. Wow.
In the space of 15 half-time minutes, the Rangers manager had given his players belief. In the space of 11 second-half minutes, his players had given the fans belief again.
It was a case of job done then as United were floored by those two quick blows and Rangers toyed with them at will.
Scott Arfield replaced the still-smilling Sakala in 71 minutes, Kemar Roofe made a long-awaited return to action soon after for the other goalscorer Tillman.
“It was nice to see Kemar Roofe come back today – he was our top scorer in the season we won the league, and he’s been lost to us for a while,” said Beale.
“The unfortunate side is that Antonio Colak picked up a knock and had to go off – that was a forced change. I’m hoping it’s not a long one.
“We can improve by getting players fitter, understanding the ideas more, playing more games, adding to it in this month if they’re the right players to take us forward.
“There’s a lot of positives at the moment, but it’s nowhere near where we want it just yet, we’ve got to keep going.”
Keep going. The visting fans certainly will as they bounced away from Tannadice still singing the Sakala song.
The words to the tune are hard to keep up with, but it’s catchy.
The number at the top of the table is nine points. Rangers are keeping up. It’s catchy.
