Rangers' tempo problems and John Lundstram's signs of vision - Blair Newman

With those words in mind, he will have been disappointed by last week’s defeats to Malmo and Dundee United, not just for the results, but for the manner in which they came.

Rangers had plenty of the ball in both games but were unable to create consistent scoring opportunities. While they found the net late in Sweden, they failed to test either opponent’s goalkeeper with the frequency they’d expect. In both games combined they had just four shots on target.

Tempo was an issue in Rangers’ Premiership opener against Livingston. After a fast start and an early Ianis Hagi goal the game fell flat. It took 70 minutes for Rangers to add to the score, when Scott Wright lashed home a stunning volleyed strike. The problem became more apparent against Dundee United, where Rangers were too slow to open up a well-organised low block.

Playing at a high tempo can mean different things. It can mean moving the ball quickly, playing forward quickly, or crossing and shooting quickly once in the final third. The important word appearing in all of those descriptions is ‘quickly’. Playing with haste can help to disorganise an organised defence, resist pressure, or exploit space in transition.

Of course, Rangers want to impose themselves on games, so tempo is something they have to manage. Constantly moving the ball quickly, forcing forward passes and shots that aren’t on, will lead to an increase in turnovers, giving opponents more time to reset or counter-attack. However, Rangers need to know when to control the tempo and when to increase it. Right now, domestically at least, their play is arguably too controlled.

One hallmark of high tempo football is one and two-touch play. If a player takes more than two touches before releasing the ball or shooting, he will slow the game down. The more time the ball spends in one position, the more time the opposition have to set themselves as a defensive unit.

READ MORE: Why subscription matters in the fight against Rangers clickbait - Jonny McFarlane

Shifting the ball quickly, with each player taking no more than one or two touches before passing it on, can lead to the opponent losing their shape. All it takes is for one or two defenders not to recover position quickly enough, and there’s a gap to penetrate.

Another important aspect of high tempo attacking play is the weight of passing. If the pass is too slow it gives the opponent time to reset defensively. It can also invite unnecessary pressure. Against Dundee United we saw an example of this when Joe Aribo delayed a pass to Ryan Kent. By the time the pass was played, Kent was surrounded by defenders and tackled.

Rangers have not been direct enough at times this season. Kent is an individual example - too often he has cut back or laid off rather than taking on his man. Against Dundee United, he didn’t record a single shot on goal.

Post-match, Gerrard said that “there’s no point getting [into the final third] if you can’t find that quality or that invention to go and hurt teams”. He needs his attackers to take more chances - Steven Davis’ goal against Malmo underlines the fact the ball does not need to be walked into the net.

Structure can affect the team’s directness. If there aren’t enough players looking for space between the lines or offering in behind, the play will naturally become slower and more sideways. John Lundstram has shown signs he has the vision and range to become a playmaker for Rangers, but he was too withdrawn against Dundee United.

He could perhaps learn a thing or two from Scott Arfield, someone who balances out the presence of Davis and Glen Kamara in midfield by making lots of forward runs. Interchanging positions or combining with the front three, Arfield tests defences - should they risk leaving him open, or follow him and potentially lose their shape?

Limiting the number of touches, weighting passes correctly, and playing with greater directness - improvement in these aspects will raise the tempo for Rangers. But there are two other facets to be conscious of. Firstly, they need to limit their tactical fouling. Secondly, they need to reduce the number of unnecessary giveaways they make.

READ MORE: Rangers' Dundee United defeat had nothing to do with crowds

Domestic opponents love it when Rangers give them a chance to slow the game down. Every time Rangers foul or pass out of play, they are giving teams an opportunity to waste time setting up for a set-piece. Too often against Dundee United, Rangers players weren’t on the same wavelength, leading to throw-ins that the opponent could use to completely suck the tempo out of the game.

Until Lundstram settles in, Arfield or Ianis Hagi may be better options in midfield due to their greater capacity for risk-taking, whether it be through forward runs or shots from distance. Up front, Wright or Fashion Sakala would inject more speed and directness to proceedings than Aribo, while Cedric Itten may offer more of a natural target for crosses into the box.

There is no need for Gerrard to panic and make wholesale tactical changes this early on in the season, but he won’t want too many more winnable games turning into defeats.

He needs his players to get the tempo right, and this might lead to slight tweaks in his selections.