Michael Beale has conceded Kyogo Furuhashi has been the outstanding player in the cinch Premiership this season – but insisted Rangers can beat Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final today if his players replicate the Japanese striker’s ruthlessness up front.
Furuhashi has scored no fewer than five goals in the last three meetings between the Glasgow clubs – including a double in the Viaplay Cup final at Hampden in February - and Beale believes he is the stand-out contender for the Player of the Year awards which will be handed out next month.
However, the Englishman, whose men need to overcome their city rivals this afternoon to avoid finishing the 2022/23 campaign trophyless, is confident the Ibrox side can prevail against the Parkhead team if they are as clinical as the 29 goal predator in the final third.
“I think over the season he has probably been the most outstanding player in the league and that will probably be shown at the end of the season,” said Beale.
“They have won two competitions already and it has been shown he has been the outstanding player. He has taken his chances.
“A clinical No 9 is one of the reasons why Celtic have done well. He is obviously an excellent player. I don’t remember him missing a chance and I do remember us having opportunities that we have missed. There is a stat I saw – we have had the most shots and the most shots on target.”
Looking back on the 3-2 defeat that Rangers suffered at the hands of Celtic earlier this month, Beale said: “We don’t take too many positives from a defeat as a fan or a manager. But as a manager it is your job to go back in and look at things you did well in the game.
“There was a lot of things that went well. It was a good game between two good teams, two completely different styles if you like in terms of the way that we play. We had enough opportunities on the day to take something from the game and we didn’t. That is the margin that we need to close right now.”
