LIFE at Ibrox has certainly not started smoothly for John Lundstram after his arrival this summer.
His first half dismissal in the home leg of Rangers’ Europa League qualifying play-off tie with Alashkert was the culmination of a series of indifferent displays as the former Sheffield United midfielder struggles to acclimatise to the demands of his new role.
Steven Gerrard reinforced after his side’s 4-2 win over Ross County last weekend, in which Lundstram made an impact from the bench, that the midfielder will have a key role to play this season.
Here, The Rangers Review takes a closer look at Lundstram’s attributes, how he can be repurposed to suit Rangers’ needs and how the side can benefit from his inclusion.
The transition
Positionally, Lundstram’s role is not too dissimilar to the one he performed at Sheffield United. The midfielder was very right-sided in a midfield three under Chris Wilder, often dovetailing effectively with the right-wing back and right-centre back to overload the flanks and help move his side into dangerous areas. It is a description that fits many of Rangers’ current midfield personnel and their relationship with Gerrard’s system.
Lundstram summarised his role under Wilder before Rangers’ Europa League play-off first leg with Alashkert. saying: “At Sheffield United I was always asked to stay away from the ball, stay higher up the pitch, and allow the two centre-halves to step in [with the ball].”
Broadly speaking, Lundstram is still asked to occupy the right-side of the pitch under Gerrard, both in and out of possession, but his role is only similar in name. A comparison of action maps from games in which Lundstram had comparable ‘actions’ between his Sheffield United days and this term at Rangers (in the 1-0 defeat to Dundee United) illustrates the stark differences.
Under Wilder, Lundstram would often impact the game higher and closer to the penalty area (top), whereas in the first few weeks at Rangers it’s apparent there’s more emphasis on receiving the ball and providing security during build-up on the right with Tavernier in his usual buccaneering role (bottom). Equally, it’s important to note the contrast in unsuccessful actions (Xs) – both in volume and location – as a consequence of the different systems in which Lundstram has played, with the midfielder afforded more license to play direct and therefore with higher risk during his days in South Yorkshire.
Although the sample size is naturally vastly different, to add further context Lundstram is averaging 50.34 receptions per 90 in a Rangers shirt thus far, a 75% increase in ‘received passes’ from his 2019/20 campaign at Sheffield United. “Whereas now the gaffer [Steven Gerrard] wants me to get on the ball deeper,” Lundstram added when asked to describe the change of midfield responsibilities.
Operation speed
The difficulty that Lundstram has experienced since arriving in Glasgow, however, is more centred around his attributes and how they translate into a ball-dominant system at Rangers.
Given his experience prior to arriving was in a system where there wasn’t a responsibility to facilitate play, Lundstram doesn’t boast natural guile in possession, instead looking to move the ball quickly through the lines with intensity to unsettle the opposition.
That trait was on display during his cameo against Livingston on the opening day, coming off the bench to inject purpose into a Rangers display that had drifted massively in intensity after the opening 15 minutes. Lundstram receives the ball and immediately looks for the first time pass infield to Davis before receiving the return pass and linking with Kamara higher up the pitch.
What the Englishman excels at in this instance is his ability to pass-and-move with intent, constantly looking to unsettle Livingston’s midfield line, rather than operating more with an awareness of space and how to subtly find gaps. This trait was also evident during his time at Sheffield United. In the example below, Lundstram (circled) receives the ball while pinned to the touchline as his side aim to progress the ball down the right-hand side.
Instead of staying wide and forcing his side to recycle the ball across their defensive line with Norwich City players occupying all available passing options, Lundstram surprises the opposition by filtering back inside to provide a short passing option.
This allows the midfielder to spread play out to the opposite flank, allowing Sheffield United to sustain pressure and prevent the opposite from squeezing their defensive line up.
At the very least, Lundstram’s operation speed in midfield makes him a very effective impact sub, as evidenced in last weekend’s 4-2 win over Ross County when his strength on the ground allowed him to win a loose ball in midfield and spring Rangers forward for the fourth goal.
Ball manipulation
Ultimately, however, it’s not a trait in which Gerrard has demanded from midfielders as his style of play has evolved. Lundstram’s current struggles can largely be ascribed to being asked to play as a patient, ball-playing midfielder, without boasting the attributes to carry it out.
As outlined in my piece detailing the requirements to play as a No.6 in this Rangers system, modelled on Steven Davis, it’s critical for a midfielder under Gerrard to possess the ability to manipulate the ball. This is an area that Rangers’ current midfield incumbents have mastered in recent years, and can largely be defined as an ability to create holes in the opposition’s defensive structure through clever faints, jinks and body movements. The same principles apply in European fixtures, where Rangers’ midfield has excelled with their ability to evade strong pressure from the opposition, chiefly Glen Kamara whose press resistance capacity at Dundee has been elevated in his two-and-a-half years at Ibrox.
The most striking aspect of Lundstram’s needless second bookable offence against Alashkert in the Europa League first leg was his inability to evade his marker.
As he receives the ball across his body, Alashkert forward Jose Embalo provides pressure from his blind side.
Lundstram fails to spot the danger over his shoulder, allowing Embalo the opportunity to put himself between Lundstram and the ball to recover possession before being hauled down.
To isolate one example of how Kamara’s press resistance aids Rangers’ midfield performance, it’s worth examining his role in the lead-up to Ryan Kent’s equaliser at Celtic Park in 2019. Although he has a clearer view of Ryan Christie pressuring him from behind, Kamara uses his body to expertly pivot around his marker.
The principal benefit to this is that Rangers don’t suffer territorially as Kamara is able to retain possession in a more dangerous area, allowing him to spread the ball wide before Gerrard’s side scored via a cut-back from the left-hand side.
Granted, Lundstram wasn’t added to the ranks to replace Kamara’s qualities – rather Gerrard has said previously the Englishman’s addition owed more to adding “speed” to the Rangers engine room – but given the functional nature of the Rangers midfield the individuals are typically forced to conform to it.
Suppressed role
The by-product of Lundstram being inhibited in his role is that the Rangers support have yet to witness many of his useful traits in the final third, chiefly his ability to cross from dangerous areas.
The 27-year-old had three attempted crosses against Alashkert at Ibrox, a high number for a Rangers midfielder considering Kamara and Aribo are not prolific crossers and often play on their ‘wrong side’ in midfield. The example below of a crossing opportunity for Lundstram bears more resemblance to his Sheffield United days. With Rangers building with the full-backs deep, Lundstram moves into the right half-space to occupy the Alashkert right-back.
As Goldson moves the ball sideways to Tavernier, the Rangers captain spots the opportunity to release his side in behind down the right. Lundstram’s positioning drags the Alashkert right-back out to the touchline and Hagi exploits the gap that it creates in the opposition’s defensive line.
Lundstram then uses his speed to receive the return pass from Hagi in a promising crossing area.
The second of the Englishman’s crossing situations also arrived from a similar position, again moving right with Tavernier staying deeper. This time, his cross is nearly deflected into the net from an Alashkert defender.
All in all, Kamara’s suspension in European competitions tossed Lundstram into competitive action that he was ultimately ill-prepared for.
The 27-year-old doesn’t boast the guile in tight situations that has distinguished Gerrard’s most used midfield options, but he does boast qualities that can help Rangers inject directness into their play. The bigger question is whether he can adapt to the fundamental qualities required for a Rangers midfielder.
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