One of the key components of this Rangers team is fitness, not just in terms of the ability to run for the full 90 minutes, but the ability out muscle opponents both in defence and attack.
This isn’t a quality that is needed purely for domestic football, the higher the level of opposition we play against tends to find a quicker and stronger player – a good big one will always beat a good little one and all that.
Scott Wright has spoken about his development since joining from Aberdeen but another player who has clearly been in the gym and is now seeing the benefits is Ianis Hagi, the Romanian international explaining to The Athletic how he has bulked up in the last 12-18 months:
“I am six kilograms heavier than when I arrived, so I feel stronger and fitter. I did everything with Para (Polychronopoulos) in the gym, but Flanny (Flannigan) was nutrition. These two guys changed a lot and taught me when to eat proteins and carbs.
“It was quite physically demanding last season as the amount of work I did in the gym was unbelievable, which people don’t see. It was a tough season but when I had that cup over my head I was like, ‘This is so good. What else do you want when you work so hard?’.”
We all know how hard Hagi works at his game, he wants to improve in every training session, his ability to take set pieces with both feet, his desire to drive those around him to settle for nothing other than victory and now his physical improvement, point to a player that must be a joy to work with.
Will Gerrard go to Aston Villa?
Yes
No
It was an aspect of his game that was noticeable when he first joined Rangers, he could be bullied off the ball or knocked off balance and lose control – legally or not – but now it is a different story and he looks every inch of his 6ft frame, no longer the skinny young boy that first arrived on these shores.