Rangers fail to threaten Aberdeen from open play in one-dimensional display

Encouragement had been drawn from a week in which Rangers managed to display some consistency. Results and performances matched up while defensive solidity appeared to have been recovered and the European campaign kick-started.

Both, however, fell victim to a tumultuous opening 20 minutes against Aberdeen.

Thereafter it was all about recovery from a two-goal deficit. Steven Gerrard’s side managed to draw level through Alfredo Morelos and James Tavernier – a winner would have been significant but proved elusive.

Here, The Rangers Review dives into the trends and data following more dropped points in the Scottish Premiership.

Trendline

Every stat should be caveated with the game state of yesterday’s encounter. By game state, we refer to the environment in which certain actions take place.

For example, it’s easier to dominate territory when chasing a game than against a side that is playing with a high defensive line.

With this in mind, the trendline offers two main takeaways.

Firstly, enough chances were created to win the game. While Gerrard did concede that his team had to ‘force’ elements of their play which led to unrecognisable phases – they could conceivably have turned the score around.

READ MORE: Rangers boss Steven Gerrard talks coping with pressure and the need to fix things after Aberdeen draw

Secondly, by the time the game went 2-0, the xG stood 0.57 to 0.49 in favour of the visitors.

The concession of both goals was slightly freakish in one sense – but equally clinical in the other. 

Whether or not the hosts 'deserved' to win the game is an interesting conversation.

The percentile at the top of the trendline clearly shows they should have based on the shots they took. However, given the vulnerabilities early on it seems unrealistic to presume Glass' side wouldn't have caused more problems had they kept attacking.

Shot map

Scratching beneath the surface of the xG figure matches up with the eye test. The hosts struggled to create anything that didn't come via a cross.

The Ibrox side had a non-penalty xG of 1.65. 0.90 of which came from set-pieces and 0.71 crosses. Crosses and set-pieces were responsible for 1.61 of the 1.65 outfield xG.

Again, context is needed here. The away side had a single attempt in the box after the break – naturally, having earned a lead at Ibrox they sat in to protect it. The space to play through therefore was limited.

Alternatively, it could be argued this is one of the issues that needs ‘fixed’ – a one-dimensional approach. The only chance that wasn’t created via a cross was Calvin Bassey’s shot.

Aberdeen created 0.62 of their 0.82 xG in the opening 20 minutes. When Lewis Ferguson snatched at a shot inside the box as his side chased a third they were full of confidence.

The home team arguably didn’t recover quick enough as Christian Ramirez headed home. Look at the number of home shirts in the box. Leon Balogun was sucked towards the ball, but a teammate should have given him support.

Team shape and pass maps

As detailed in The Rangers Review’s match analysis – Aberdeen’s shape was compact and overloaded. But their game plan was helped by the home side’s failure to exploit the space they left.

They flooded the centre of the pitch and managed to prevent many overloads from occurring. That coincided with huge gaps to either side that weren’t taken full advantage of.

READ MORE: Comical Rangers defending highlights a worrying regression - Derek Clark

Gerrard’s side has been guilty of not exposing space out wide this season. Their pass map shows a narrow front three - more intentional width higher up the pitch could have provided greater options.

Connor Goldson topped the xGChain and played plenty of diagonals. A lack of runners in the front line limited the impact of his distribution.

The pass map from the second half demonstrates the higher positions taken up by Fashion Sakala and Scott Wright. Which ultimately led to the equaliser.

Pressure maps

Again, the game was so influenced by the opening 20 minutes that pressure numbers must be asterisked.

146 pressures given the possessional advantage Rangers enjoyed doesn’t throw up many red flags.

Of the 36 counterpressures made, Sakala’s interception on 80 minutes was the most influential. This passage saw him win the ball, help progress it and win a penalty.

Aberdeen’s pressure map is telling of the threat posed by the hosts. Playing with a two-man strike force often leaves the left-back in this system slightly isolated – it was the same (albeit intentionally) at home to Brondby.

This arguably makes Rangers too predictable to defend against and allows sides to flood the middle.

Conclusion

It's important to always maintain some form of perspective when judging a match. The response from the hosts almost earned all three points. Despite a mistake for the second goal, James Tavernier assisted the first and scored the second.

To quote their manager, Rangers need to 'get onto the training pitch' and 'fix some issues'.