Alfredo Morelos will quickly become a memory if Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten continue to impress as they did against Kilmarnock at the weekend.
Both have been bit part players so far as they get used to Steven Gerrard’s tactics and for Roofe, up to match fitness, and after scoring on his first start Noel Whelan, speaking to Football Insider, believes that he couldn’t have asked for a better start to his career at Ibrox.
So what has Whelan said?
When asked if he believes that Roofe’s goal against Killie will have a huge effect on the forward’s confidence, he said:
“The goal is massive.
“It is absolutely huge as a striker to get your first goal. We knew that he was a week behind everybody else in terms of fitness. He was struggling to get going at Rangers but when you get an opportunity as a striker and you take it, it is massive.
“Strikers work on confidence. We thrive on confidence and we get it from scoring goals. We know that Kemar is great in and around the box and he will get goals in Scotland. That is the reason why Steven Gerrard has been a long-term admirer and signed him.
“It took a bit of time to get him through the door but they have got their man and Kemar is repaying Gerrard’s faith in him very quickly.”
So is Whelan correct?
Absolutely, both summer signings have looked eager to impress when they have come on but with Gerrard picking them to start against Killie, it was always going to give a more accurate reflection of where they are in terms of fitness and sharpness.
Can Roofe replace Morelos at the top of goalscoring charts?
Yes
No
Roofe took his goal well and also hit the post with a header, demonstrating that he has the movement to find space against packed defences, something that could prove to be useful throughout the season.
The Gers gaffer is looking for a better spread of goals in his squad and both Roofe and Itten have shown, in glimpses, that they could be willing contributors as they look to compensate for the sizeable hole left in the goals scored column if Morelos departs.