Outspoken Charlie Nicholas reckons Rangers WILL show up against Celtic and has offered a tactical tweak which he is convinced would dent his former team's Treble hope.
But he thinks it will be Ange Postecoglou celebrating Scottish Cup semi final victory despite his admiration for Michael Beale amid his major Ibrox rebuild. Nicholas is a vocal critic of Alfredo Morelos in recent seasons and reckons the striker is now merely an empty jersey. El Bufalo's incompatibility in the eyes of the 60–year-old has forced Nicholas to dust off the his tactics board as he thinks outside the box. And he's told Beale and Co it's time to leave the looming free agent with a watching brief to start.
Speaking in his Express column, he said: "Rangers need to go with a false nine if they are to have any chance of upsetting Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi-final. At the moment, Michael Beale has an empty nine. Alfredo Morelos makes the team so predictable and, as first-choice centre-forward, he is not offering enough. He is a physical battler but he can't run past opponents.
"Morelos plays on the edge of the game because he can't get involved in the basics. Having found the net just 12 times in 42 appearances this season, he is on course for his lowest goals return in six seasons at the club. The Colombian can't be relied on any more and he has become a burden for Beale, so the Ibrox manager should try something different at Hampden on Sunday.
"I would leave Morelos out of the starting line-up and see if he can make an impact coming off the bench. If Antonio Colak isn't fit then deploying the likes of Malik Tillman or Scott Arfield as a false nine could be Rangers' best weapon because, as it stands, they don't really have anything else. The talent at Ibrox is individual, not collective. Rangers did OK in the first half of last weekend's league match against Aberdeen, but it all fell down again because they have no pace up top. The stick being aimed at Beale after the 2-0 defeat was inevitable because his side weren't clinical enough at Pittodrie.
"Rangers' defensive weakness was also evident, with this being the third game in a row they have conceded at least two goals. It's probably no coincidence Connor Goldson was absent for all three games through injury, with John Souttar filling at centre-back. With Rangers soft at the back, Celtic have to be clear favourites for the semi-final. I can see it being an end-to–end match and James Tavernier will be key to any success his side have. With the Scottish Cup their last hope of silverware, Gers need a big finish to the season.
"I think they do have a big performance in them, but it really needs to come out on Sunday.They have to produce. In the last Old Firm derby they were very good for 30 minutes because they went after Celtic. If Rangers get the first goal at Hampden, it would make an enormous difference and allow them to play counter-attacking football."
Postecoglou's side and their swashbuckling displays came to halt during a tepid stalemate with Motherwell and Nicholas believes it would be foolhardy to dismiss that result out of hand. But he believes Celtic's fate hinges on the availability of key men.
He added: "I don't think Celtic took their foot off the pedal against Motherwell in last Saturday's 1-1 draw at Parkhead. The Steelmen were just really at it. They had a go and good on them. Celtic might be questioning themselves.
"If Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota and Reo Hatate are not all fit then Rangers might have a wee chance because Celtic won't be at full capacity. But, with the Hoops going for the Treble, I expect them to win."
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