Since the arrival of Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Rangers have went on a successful run of form, registering 3 wins out of 3, and against notable opposition, with a tough Europa League victory against Sparta Prague being followed by two impressive away-day wins at Livingston and Hibernian. With the line-up being delicately altered per game, with Van Bronckhorst rotating between the composed playmaker of Steven Davis, and the goal-threatening Scott Arfield, each starting XI has appeared tailor-made to take down the opposition at hand. However, one essential cog in the works of this has notably been our number 17, Joe Aribo.
Throughout his time at Rangers, Aribo has registered some unbelievable moments of skill, quality and footballing intelligence which makes ‘Gers fans ponder how we managed to swipe such an incredible talent for a price around the region of £300,000. Whether it was his incredible display last season when Rangers dismantled their Old Firm rivals in a confident 2-0 win at Ibrox, or even his left-back heroics when the midfielder came off the bench into a full back position to score a wonderful solo goal to level the scoreline in Rangers’ famous 3-2 comeback victory over Braga, the Nigerian midfielder has certainly had his moments.
Throughout his impressive time at Rangers, albeit sprinkled with a touch of inconsistency to his magic and an unfortunate battle with some injuries, Joe Aribo has been a standout man, and his footballing ability quite often catches the eye of other clubs, though the Nigerian quite impressively has shut down rumours of a move away from the club before, focused on his career at the Scottish champions.
The question that now springs to mind for many over the last three games, is it now Joe Aribo’s time to become the centrepiece of a wonderfully talented Rangers squad? When fans light-heartedly discuss who their favourite players are, the names of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, and even Glen Kamara are often enough set down before many. However, since the arrival of GVB, fans have marvelled at the consistently brilliant showings that Aribo has been turning in for Rangers. Regularly working his magic and pulling the strings in the midfield, even treating the fans to an incredible goal against Livingston as his curling effort just kissed the underside of the bar to put Rangers into a 0-2 lead, Aribo certainly looks to be playing with a whole new burst of momentum since the arrival of the new gaffer.
Joe Aribo has always been a player who has unbelievable potential and quality for Rangers, but fans will inevitably be excited with the idea that GVB and his managerial staff may be able to turn his undeniable talent into a consistent showing for the Ibrox faithful, which looks promising so far with Aribo’s previous 3 displays under the new management. With Rangers set for a home league clash against Dundee on Saturday, eyes will certainly be looking to the the midfielder to see if he can keep on producing, and stake his claim to be the ‘main man’ of the exciting Gio Era.