ALFREDO MORELOS is back in blue and back on the scoresheet. On the day Ibrox saluted a potential goal hero of the future, the man who has been the star of the show for so long showed just why he holds such a place in the affection of supporters.
Antonio Colak had set Rangers on their way to victory over Kilmarnock. Had Morelos not scored late on, the acclaim and the headlines would have been his and his alone.
The Colombian is used to having the limelight all to himself, though. Having made sure of three Premiership points, Morelos will now be tasked with salvaging a Champions League dream.
The sight of Morelos, sporting a new bleached-blonde hairdo, was one to behold for a support who feared over the summer that they may have seen his final game for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.
If the Colombian does indeed, as his manager is confident he will do, put pen-to-paper on a new long-term deal here, then it will go down as the signing of the summer and eclipse the seven new arrivals at Ibrox.
After an unconvincing win at Livingston and the lacklustre defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, there was a sense that Van Bronckhorst’s side were already searching for a spark this season. The return of Morelos could not have been more timely.
This victory didn’t exactly tick all the boxes but there was an improvement from the wretched showing in Belgium and the win will always be the most important factor as Rangers made it two from two in the Premiership. In many regards, there must be much more to come, and quickly.
Union will visit Ibrox on Tuesday night as Rangers’ Champions League dreams are defined and that could then set the tone for the weeks that follow as Van Bronckhorst’s new look side attempt to build confidence and momentum this term.
This was an afternoon that was routine and satisfactory. It was dominant in some ways, yet underwhelming in others.
The first 90 minutes of football at Ibrox this season followed a pattern that has been seen for many terms. Over the coming months, it will play out more often than not.
It was all about possession and patience for Rangers. Their dominance of the ball will rarely be questioned this term, but the crowd here are not known for being the most forgiving when things aren’t going their way on the scoreboard.
There were fleeting reasons for the home support to be optimistic as Van Bronckhorst’s side pressed and probed but tensions will always creep up when the opening goal doesn’t arrive in the early stages and when the game is not killed off with a matter of urgency.
The early chances fell to Malik Tillman and Colak. From positions in the right channel, the midfielder saw his effort blocked in a crowd of yellow jerseys, while the Croatian pulled a strike across the face of Sam Walker’s goal.
Tillman was at the heart of the most promising phases of play for Rangers. Not all of the flicks and faints will evade defenders and not every pass tried will have a positive outcome, but the American internationalist at least has the vision and bravery to attempt such moments.
Tillman would see his fair share of the ball, and Rangers would create the majority of the chances as – an Ash Taylor header aside – Kilmarnock caused no problems during a half that was attack versus defence.
Walker didn’t have to react to a James Tavernier free-kick that was curled over his bar, but he was involved to block a deflected drive from Scott Wright. A long-range header from Tom Lawrence was harmless but Walker was then spoken to be referee Kevin Clancy over the length of time being taken to restart the action.
That conversation, coming just 20 minutes in, encapsulated Killie’s gameplan. It was one designed to silence a crowd and to take the sting out of their opponents and Rangers were waiting for inspiration.
It was Lawrence that almost provided it. When Colak’s shot was blocked, the ball broke to the former Derby County captain and he rattled the bar with an audacious, dipping effort that had Walker beaten.
Just seconds beforehand, Morelos had emerged from the dugout for the first time and received a warm welcome as he warmed up on the touchline. Even at that stage it was clear that he would be needed at some point.
The goal wouldn’t come before the break for Rangers. Connor Goldson hit the side netting with a powerful effort on the angle, while Walker was a match to another Wright strike that was heading for the top corner.
Rangers needed a goal. Just five minutes after the break, the man who was desperate for one got it for them.
The early assessments of Colak have not been overwhelmingly positive. Given the small sample size so far, such judgements could be dismissed as knee-jerk by those who have talked up his qualities and what he can bring to the team.
His first goal for Rangers will do him the world of good. The chance looked to have been lost when he stumbled but the pass was released to Lawrence and then received back.
When it was, Colak had to score. From inside the area, he beat Walker with a clinical low strike and it was clear what it mean to him after his frustrations against Livingston and USG.
His afternoon soon came to an end. He was replaced by Morelos, while Rabbi Matondo took over from Wright and Borna Barisic replaced debutant Ridvan Yilmaz after a nervous but steady hour on his Ibrox bow.
That familiar pattern continued as the clock ticked on. In such situations, it doesn’t take much to attract ire from these stands and the mood was tetchy.
With two minutes left, it was celebratory. Morelos was the man of the moment and his poacher’s finish from a Matondo cross brought Ibrox to its feet.
The main man was back. Now he will have to rise to the European occasion once again as he is given the chance to underline his importance to Rangers once again.
