Why Fashion Sakala represents Rangers' key change under Michael Beale

Those qualities, recruited in 2021 to enhance the goalthreat of a side without many natural goalscorers, have helped a very similar squad with very similar weaknesses achieve results since December.

A routine 2-0 win at Tannadice was made comfortable because Rangers could rely on the goalscoring abilities of Sakala and Malik Tillman, alongside Alfredo Morelos playing as the central striker.

It’s an obvious point. Play more goalscorers and you’ll score more goals. And yet, on how many occasions under the previous manager did this fail to materialise in team selection? When Rangers scraped a 2-1 win against Dundee United earlier this season, Malik Tillman and Sakala warmed the bench while a midfield of Scott Arfield, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Charlie McCann and Ryan Kent started and failed to score.

Yesterday, that pair quickly put the game out of United’s reach before the hosts had any real chance to regain a foothold. Scoring chances that midfielders shoehorned into attacking positions wouldn’t have.

“I see Malik as a goalscorer, so rather than picking between him and Fashion Sakala we pick both,” Beale said speaking after the game.

“I was a little frustrated with them at half-time, to say the least, and we just had a laugh and joke about it because they were two that I wanted to change how they were playing in the first half and they did really well in the second half.”

Five wins from six and an Old Firm performance deserving of three points was all anyone could’ve asked for a month ago and Sakala’s form can take a fair share of the credit.

In five starts since Beale arrived, the Zambian has three goals and two assists, as well as the penalty won to put Rangers ahead against Celtic. Throughout his Ibrox career, attention has often focused on what he lacks, rather than what his performances guarantee. Which, over the course of a domestic season, is goals. Last season he averaged 0.5 goals per 90 from an xG of 0.51. Before kick-off yesterday, that number stood at 0.42 goals per 90 from the same expected total.

Rash passes and poor touches are a feature of his game, but so too is a magnetic pull towards the opposition’s penalty box. He’s culpable of first-half performances like yesterday and still capable of scoring the individual effort that followed, worthy of turning any game. Sakala’s unpredictability can lead to inconsistency but imagine what it’s like to defend him.

Beale’s made no secret of his desire to play with two forwards domestically ever since arriving.

“I certainly want to play with two strikers at times and you should expect that in the coming games that we play,” he before a debut 3-2 win over Hibs.

“That’s a little bit of a hint of what’s coming. I want to put more strikers on the pitch and more goalscorers and I want to play up and around the other team’s box.”

In every line-up since, two forwards have featured. Away at Pittodrie, there may have been a temptation to engage in the midfield battle, drop Sakala and push Tillman into the front three. Against Celtic, most expected the same approach. However, on either occasion, Beale stuck to his guns and very nearly took maximum points.

Sakala wasn’t an obvious choice to stand out when Giovanni van Bronckhorst departed Ibrox. Out in the cold for much of this season’s early weeks having not started in the league until the ninth game of the season, the focus was on Morelos, Tillman and Ryan Kent.

The latter two in particular have looked much improved under Beale, while Morelos continues to show flashes of the player he can be. Tillman has come up with numerous moments and Kent’s been released from left-wing confinement, but Sakala’s proclivity to pop up in front of goal and proficiency to impact the scoreline has capitalised on good work done behind him and made a tangible difference. 

Beale wants attacking freedom and fluidity to keep his Rangers team unpredictable. He alluded to “more variety and new ideas” during early interviews and the positional autonomy handed to the attacking unit feels to be one of the beliefs that stands out, in conjunction with the more structured tactical blueprint merged alongside Steven Gerrard previously.

Sakala is the perfect example of this. Just think back to last week’s Old Firm. He largely received the ball on the left-hand side during the first half and turned the game from the right after it. Similarly, his goal yesterday derived from dropping off into the left channel before spinning behind…

...Having nearly opened the scoring by attacking a cross from wide on the right minutes previously.

Take a look at the successful passes played to Sakala in 317 league minutes under Van Bronckhorst this season.

Compare that to the 301 league minutes under Beale prior to kick-off yesterday.

Much like Kent, he's no longer confined to one area of the pitch and the unpredictability this creates showed its value against Celtic and Dundee United in particular. 

Sakala, with Kent and Tillman, is feeling the benefit of freedom and consistent minutes. While Rangers have reaped the rewards that additional goalthreat brings.

Last season, starts were irregular and a run of more than two only arrived once the league was gone.

After starting five of last six, it’s no coincidence this is the best consistent run enjoyed by the Zambian in Glasgow to date.

Rangers require major additions and Beale’s post-match media rounds yesterday confirm suspicions that January arrivals are imminent. Sakala is not the definitive answer for domestic dominance and will have games where the goal evades him.

What Beale’s trust so far has returned is a positive contribution that far outweighs any drawbacks. And in his early weeks as manager, that’s mattered the most.