RangersMedia

Step up and score Friday, 03 February 2012 13:03 Written by jimmy_vulmer

'If he's not scoring, he doesn't do anything.'
'Outside of the box, he's useless.'

For once, the player that the above statements could be applied to is not the SPL's all-time leading goalscorer Kris Boyd, but our only fit striker, David Healy.
It's a damning statement that he is the only fit striker on our books just now, but that's the stark reality of it.
Healy is and always will be a goalscorer and nothing else. He has the instincts of a penalty-box predator and will invariably hit the target with the majority of chances. The Ulsterman has hit the back of the net for us three times so far this season, with goals against Motherwell, Arbroath and Hibs and at the very least, looks like he's getting some form of sharpness back in front of goal. 
Okay, David's goals haven't exactly been Messi-esque, but he still has to score the goals and that's what we're so terminally lacking right now. 

What he has is that which Kris Boyd had in abundance – the knack of splitting the fans down the middle. Yes, Boyd has gone and he won't be back any time soon but it's worthwhile having a teensy reminder of what he did in a Rangers shirt. He scored goals. Truckloads of them, most of them important ones too. Okay, he didn't always manage it against Celtic or in Europe, but it's every bit as much goals against the Motherwells, St Mirrens and Inverness Caledonians that win you titles, sometimes more so. Yes, we lost the most recent Old Firm game but it's against Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, St Johnstone et al that we've thrown away what was a 12 point lead. 

For all of his goals, Boyd offered nothing outside of the box. As much as his defenders will stick up for the big man, this cannot really be argued against. He'd often go missing in games but then maybe only pop up to score an all-too vital winner. Without his goals, we wouldn't have won the 2008/09 title. It's as simple as that.

I'm not laying any claim out for Healy to become the next Kris Boyd, but he certainly is in the same mould – predator, peripheral figure until the ball is in the box and if he's not scoring, doesn't always offer much. That's maybe being a touch harsh on the Northern Irishman – his touch is a world better than Boyd's ever was, he can link up between midfield and attack if the mood takes him and he can spot a pass if there's a better chance for a goal on most of the time. 

What we have to realise is, unless there's a free agent signing any time soon, David Healy is now the man we're all looking towards to fire us back to the top of the SPL. What he perhaps needs to realise are these factors. 

One – the majority of fans' expectations now rest on his shoulders and he has to deliver, boyhood fan, Ulsterman, or not. Goals make forwards when you're as limited as he is. 

Two – rightly or wrongly, his style of play will split the fans more or less down the middle. Okay, we've nothing against the guy, but it's galling having him as our great goal hope for any shot at four in a row. If he can score consistently between now and the end of the season, he'll keep the majority of us onside. 
Three – He won't take the blame if we lose this title, but he could become a huge hero if we do. Goals are what win games, and as stupid as it sounds, we've thrown away a 12 point lead by not beating teams. What I mean by that is that the points we've dropped are through us not scoring enough goals. Our defence hasn't been that leaky this season, but up front we've been toothless more or less every game since Naismith's injury. If Healy can step up, make the grade and turn chances and half-chances into goals, he could be looked upon as a man catalyst for our title success this year.

I do think that for all we deserve more firepower up front and will need it if we're to win our fourth consecutive title and surely see Neil Lennon resign, Healy will come good for us. Yes, we're all aware of the arguments that David might not be Rangers class but I'm not so sure what that is in the world of Rangers FC 2012. He does have it in him to be the man to chip in with around 10-15 goals between now and the end of the season, but whether that will be enough, however, is another argument for another day.