Monday, 16 September 2013

Rangers centre-half McCulloch's 'surprise' hat-tricks

Rangers manager Ally McCoist has clearly had a brainwave.  Following centre-half Lee McCulloch’s two successive League One hat-tricks in recent weeks, the Glasgow club have gone hunting for former Hearts captain Marius Zaliukas on a free transfer; the more centre-halves, the merrier.


To be sure, Zaliukas’ record of 14 goals in 200-odd appearances for the Jambos doesn’t scream “free-scoring”,  but I’m sure McCoist will have some brusque, reckless attacking tactic up his sleeve to turn that stat around – the sort of tactic that only a outrageously underpunished, out-of-place ‘big’ club could make while taking a few years’ holiday in the lower leagues.

Of course, the fact that McCulloch spent a great chunk of his career as an attacking player might give him an edge over Zaliukas in the goalscoring stakes.  These hat-tricks against Arbroath and East Fife are hardly on the same level of absurdity as, say, Paul McShane or Mamady Sidibe hitting three in one game – despite being the first of his professional career.  It isn’t that long since he last donned his shooting boots.  Just look and listen at this video:
 

Mind you, centre-back or not, if McCulloch is going to insist on galloping off up the field bagging hat-tricks then you can’t blame McCoist for wanting some cover.  Never mind all the defenders already on their books, the new signing Milel Bohsni, as well as Boris Pandža – a Bosnian international defender in talks with the club.

Rangers’ year-long transfer embargo was recently lifted, you know.  Really itching for their fix aren’t they.

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Photo Credit: Alasdair Middleton

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