How Joe Aribo makes Rangers' midfield tick and why Steven Gerrard is striving for midfield balance - Blair Newman

Key to the performance was a balanced midfield selection, one that included Joe Aribo.

Opening the scoring with a stunning, curled strike, Aribo contributed further with his movement, dribbling and combination play.

It was enough to open up a real conversation about exactly what formation Rangers are actually playing, and what formation they should play.

The title win of last season was synonymous with a 4-3-3. But when Rangers play Aribo in midfield, it’s really, attack-wise, more of a 4-2-3-1.

Aribo is the free man, allowed to roam by a manager who places great faith in his ability to make something happen. “We want him to keep...scoring goals,” Steven Gerrard said of the 25-year-old post-Ross County. “He has got the license... to go forward and be a bit more ambitious.”

The Ibrox side needs midfield balance, between attack and defence, chaos and control.

Steven Davis and Glen Kamara are among the first names on the team-sheet, but neither could be defined as goal-scorers or risk-takers. They are exceptional when it comes to dictating the tempo (Davis) and retaining possession under pressure (Kamara). With them in the line-up, Rangers, 99% of the time, do not need another holding midfielder.

One mistake that has been made, albeit rarely, by Gerrard in the past is showing too much respect to defensive opponents, veering too far towards control.

READ MORE: Analysis: Why was it so easy for Ross County to create chances against Rangers?

In the recent defeat to Dundee United, this manifested through a midfield selection of Davis, Kamara and John Lundstram. The middle three was too flat. There wasn’t enough penetration. They missed the presence of Aribo, or even Scott Arfield to break lines and cause problems.

Aribo has started in midfield in all of Rangers’ most convincing domestic displays this season – the 3-0 win over Livingston, the 5-0 thrashing of Dunfermline, and the 4-2 win over Ross County.

Last season, Scott Arfield was sometimes the most adventurous midfielder. The presence of Aribo or Arfield in the midfield can be the difference between a straight 4-3-3 and a more dynamic 4-2-3-1, and can have a big impact on the team’s attacking play.

Aribo is similar to Kamara in that both are superb at keeping the ball and manoeuvring their way out of pressurised situations, combining close control with agility. They often prefer to take more than two touches, so occasionally slow the tempo, but they provide a level of ball retention in tight areas that none of the other midfielders can offer.

However, Aribo is more attacking than Kamara, both in movement and intent. While Kamara tends to stay back, rotate with Davis and set up the possession, Aribo prefers to push forward, connect with the attackers, and work a shot for himself. His opening goal against Ross County was a perfect example of this.

Arfield is, like Aribo, a more attacking threat than Kamara. While he doesn’t possess the dribbling skill of the Nigerian, he is an intelligent runner and possesses an almost telepathic understanding with Alfredo Morelos.

He is constantly looking to go beyond and hit the penalty area – the majority of his goals are one-touch finishes stemming directly from these late runs into the box to score from cut-backs along the ground.

Whether it’s through forward runs, dribbling, combination play, shooting from the edge of the box or finishing from deep inside it, Aribo and Arfield act more like attacking midfielders than holders. Whereas Davis and Kamara stay, they are always moving forward, looking to create or score goals.

Statsbomb data backs up the eye test here. Last season, Aribo and Arfield were ahead of Kamara and Davis when it came to most attacking metrics.

They contributed more in terms of xG assisted, key passes, shots, and non-penalty goals (all per 90 minutes). Only when it came to successful dribbles did Kamara break into the top two of this particular quartet, dislodging Arfield (0.83 to 0.49). Still, his 0.83 per 90 remained well behind Aribo’s 2.26.

Tempo has been an issue at times this season, but selecting at least one attack-minded midfielder like Aribo or Arfield can help to solve the problem.

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

Having more players ahead of the ball, and fewer behind it, can encourage a higher tempo of attacking play by giving fewer sideways and backwards options, forcing more forward passing and greater directness.

It’s not quite clear how new signings Lundstram and Juninho Bacuna fit into the system. The former is still settling and the latter has just arrived.

What we do know is that labelling the system as a 4-3-3 limits the conversation. It’s worth distinguishing when Rangers play a 4-2-3-1, with Aribo or Arfield pushing forward. It’s also time to acknowledge that Rangers are a more ambitious and effective attacking side when they play it.