Source: Team_Talk
Smith to give Lafferty chance to shine
Rangers manager Walter Smith has promised Kyle Lafferty more opportunities in his preferred striking role following the departure of Kris Boyd.[LNB] Lafferty has most been deployed in a wide position since his £3million-plus move from Burnley and recently admitted he feared he may have had to leave Ibrox as he struggled to find his form.[LNB]But the 22-year-old displayed his goalscoring talents in the run-in last term, netting five times in seven games, including the goal that clinched the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title for Rangers at Easter Road.[LNB]Now Smith will give the Northern Ireland international chance to prove his ability to find the net on a regular basis following Boyd's move to Middlesbrough.[LNB]"It's an opportunity for him to get more games at centre-forward, which is his position," said Smith.[LNB]"He has played mainly on the left-hand side for ourselves and Burnley so it will give him an opportunity to get games in his proper position, and I hope he can benefit from that."[LNB]Boyd signed a two-year deal on the Riverside this week after a goal-laden spell at Ibrox.[LNB]The Scotland striker hit 127 goals for the club in four-and-a-half years, leaving Smith with the challenge of replacing such a reliable and constant supply of strikes.[LNB]"That's something we've been having to face for a while," the former Scotland manager said.[LNB]"Kris was terrific for us in terms of the number of goals he brought to the team.[LNB]"Goalscorers are not easy to come by and they're normally not cheap either.[LNB]"We'll have a situation where it will be difficult for us to fill that gap, but that's one of the challenges we face this season."[LNB]The Rangers manager has admitted market forces are hampering his bid to consolidate his squad following the departures of Boyd, Nacho Novo, Stevie Smith and DaMarcus Beasley.[LNB]He also faces a nervous wait to see if he can hold on to assets such as midfielder Kevin Thomson, who is the subject of confirmed interest from Middlesbrough.[LNB]Smith was promoting a True Colours initiative in conjunction with the Rangers Supporters Assembly, which gives fans the opportunity to buy season tickets for members of the Armed Forces, or donate their own season books on a match-by-match basis.
