Glasgow Rangers delivered their most impressive performance of the domestic campaign on Saturday, thrashing Aberdeen 4-1, although the scoreline should have been more impressive for Giovanni van Brockhorst’s side.
Rangers had a total of 36 shots during the match, and with a bit more composure, they may have scored a lot more.
Kemar Roofe, the Light Blues perennially injured forward, would have had a field day with the chances the club squandered, however, he was ruled out by van Bronckhorst after just making his first appearance against Dundee on October 19.
This fresh injury concern will give the Dutchman a headache as to what he does with the player going forward, as he is no use on the treatment table while earning a luscious £26k-per-week.
Van Bronckhorst must ditch Roofe
The 29-year-old signed for the club under former manager Steven Gerrard and he even dubbed his wonder goal against Standard Liege, where he scored from his own half in monsoon conditions, as “unbelievable”.
That first season, Roofe was certainly unbelievable as he scored 18 goals while the Ibrox side claimed their first Premiership crown in a decade. He was arguably one of Gerrard’s most important signings that season, with the player adding an extra dimension to the club’s attack as the former boss compared him to a “Duracell bunny” for his relentless energy.
Another 16 goals followed last season, which ended with Rangers winning the Scottish Cup and reaching the Europa League final, however, his injury niggles began to take their toll.
Over the course of his stint in Glasgow, Roofe has missed a grand total of 56 matches and with the signs looking good for a comeback with his cameos in the last two matches, it was another blow that he is set to miss the next few weeks.
It was perhaps inevitable, especially with his record, but the club’s Dutch coach must be getting fed up with the constant issues that are threatening his spell at Rangers.
His contract doesn’t expire until 2024, but it’s looking increasingly likely that he will depart long before then.
There is no doubting his ability, and when he came off the bench against both Dundee and Livingston recently, he showed glimpses of just what he can offer. But these are too few and far between, unfortunately.
The Dutchman can free up some space on the wage bill by ruthlessly getting rid of Roofe, and while it might not be the most popular decision, it feels like the correct one.
