Rangers newest recruit Juninho Bacuna would have been handy against Alashkert, someone capable of producing something out of the ordinary.
Signed to add more creativity in midfield without having to move either Joe Aribo or Ianis Hagi into a deeper position, the 24-year old is being tipped to find the form that saw him signed by Huddersfield Town when they were promoted to the Premier League.
Former Rangers boss, Alex McLeish, has compared Bacuna to one of the world’s finest creators, pinpointing the quality that could make him a favourite amongst the Light Blues faithful, as told to Football Insider:
“I’m not saying Bacuna is definitely going to be going in there and cement a place right away. He has to prove that.
“I’ve got a pal at Huddersfield, massive Huddersfield fan, he studies players extensively. He thought he could bring a bit of arrogance to Rangers.
“So long as he brings it in a positive way, like (Bruno) Fernandes. You can see in Fernandes is fairly sure of himself. That is hard. I’m not comparing him to Fernandes.
“I’m just saying if he can match the technique with the actual mentality he has, he could be a good asset.”
There’s no doubting that to play for Rangers, and be a success, you have to be self-confident, be a little arrogant, the jersey can be heavy if you are plagued with self doubt but it would appear that Bacuna isn’t going to be found wanting in that department.
Plenty of players in Rangers history have failed to make the impact that they should have because they couldn’t handle the pressure, every pass, every shot, every decision a player makes is scrutinised and held to a standard rarely seen at most clubs.
Steven Gerrard is clearly delighted with the signing of Bacuna though, having a genuine attacking number eight at his disposal is something that he has wanted for a long time, that the player himself suggested that Rangers had been after him since last season speaks volumes for the amount of scouting that has gone into the transfer – let’s hope Big Eck is right and that the Dutchman has found a club befitting of his talents.