Third-man runs are useful to any attacking team looking to break down a defence, and Rangers make use of them consistently. The concept proved crucial in last weekend’s victory over Dundee. But before we get into how the Ibrox side use them and what the benefits are, let’s start with a basic description of what a third-man run actually is.
The first pass goes from Player 1 to Player 2. While that pass is being played, Player 3 makes a run off the ball to receive from Player 2. In this scenario, Player 3 is the ‘third man’. He wasn’t involved in the initial pass, but ran to get onto the next one.
These moves can be used to find a player in a good position that was not initially available, to get someone on the ball with forward momentum and facing goal, or to drag defenders out of position and exploit the space created.
Elite level practitioners
Some of the best practitioners of third-man runs at the elite level are goal-scoring midfielders. They possess great awareness of what’s happening all around them, anticipation, energy, and drive to commit themselves forward into scoring positions.
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United scored 15 non-penalty goals last season. His movement is arguably his finest asset. When playing off of Edinson Cavani, he gets plenty of opportunities to make runs off an unselfish striker who can link play. Cavani will receive the initial pass, and Fernandes makes the third-man run off him to get on the next one.
We see an example of this in the following sequence, taken from Manchester United’s 6-2 Europa League win over Roma last season. Paul Pogba passes to Cavani, while Fernandes makes the third-man run. Cavani spots the run and plays Fernandes in on goal with a first-time pass. The speed and precision of the move left Roma’s defenders flabbergasted.
Opposite Fernandes that night was Jordan Veretout. The Roma midfielder, like Fernandes, scores plenty of penalties and free kicks, but he also offers exceptional movement off the ball. One of his five non-penalty goals last season came against Bologna, and was another example of the power of the third-man run.
Veretout wasn’t the recipient of the initial pass, but made a run into space and got on the second pass. He was the third man, and his run put him into a great position to score.
Third-man runs can also be made by full-backs, wingers and strikers. But third-man runs by attacking midfielders are perhaps the most potent because they happen in central areas, lead naturally to good scoring positions, and test the desire of the opposing midfielders to track back and match the run. Quite often they are too slow to react, or try to pass the buck over to the defenders.
How it helped Rangers to victory over Dundee
In the 16th minute at Dens Park, James Tavernier cut in from the right. Alfredo Morelos did what he does so often and so well, showing for the ball to feet. Tavernier passed to Morelos, and while that pass was being completed, Joe Aribo made a run off the ball.
With Dundee’s defenders naturally drawn to Morelos, Aribo ran on their blind side. Morelos played a wonderful first-time chipped ball over the top of the defenders, and Aribo latched onto it. All he had to do from there was beat the on-rushing goalkeeper, which he did. Dundee 0-1 Rangers.
Aribo’s third-man run and subsequent goal was, ultimately, enough to seal all three points for Rangers against Dundee. It wasn’t the first time the Nigerian made this sort of run, and it wasn’t the first time it led to an opening goal.
Earlier this season, away to Ross County, an almost identical scenario played out. This time it was Ianis Hagi who played the initial pass, but Morelos received in the same way – showing for the ball to feet – and Aribo made almost the exact same run from a similar starting point.
Ross County’s defence recovered quickly, so Aribo still had a lot to do, pulling out a superb, curled strike into the far corner. But it all stemmed from a third-man run, made by a Rangers midfielder into space behind the opponent’s defence.
Arfield: Rangers' specialist
Aribo is joining attacks regularly with these types of run, which perhaps isn’t surprising considering he has the opportunity to learn from an attacking midfielder like Scott Arfield. The 32-year-old has never been blessed with bags of skill, nor is he a game-changing passer. However, his movement has always been first class.
Third-man runs are a fundamental part of what makes Arfield so effective. He helps Rangers to open up defences, and occasionally gets goals for himself as a consequence. One of the best examples came in the Europa League win over Galatasaray last October.
Five minutes into the second half, with the match tied at 0-0, Tavernier fired a ball into the feet of Hagi. Arfield was already on the move when the ball was played.
With Galatasaray’s defenders distracted by the presence of Hagi and Morelos, and their midfielders not tracking back, Arfield freely ran through the gap in their back line and latched onto the next pass, by Hagi, to score.
Arfield has good anticipation of where the ball will end up in a couple of passes’ time, awareness of where and when space is available, as well as the energy to make these types of run that may or may not be recognised by teammates.
Importance of the third-man run
Man-marking is used more widely in Scottish football than it is in other top-level leagues. Even a lot of the teams that don’t employ rigid man-marking use some form of man-to-man pressure. Dundee offered an example of this last weekend.
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Their strikers didn’t press much, but their midfielders and defenders tried to get close to the men in their zone. Whenever Rangers played into midfield and beyond, the receiver usually had an opponent close by ready to apply pressure, stopping him from turning and playing forward. Third-man runs proved a good way of getting around this type of pressure.
Looking to play forward in the 37th minute, Connor Goldson realised that Hagi was about to be put under pressure from behind. Instead of putting Hagi in a situation where he could be tackled or forced into mistake, Goldson played into the feet of Kemar Roofe, who was further away and in a less dangerous position.
As soon as Goldson fired that ball into Roofe, Hagi was on the move hunting for the lay-off. Rather than go man-to-man, his direct opponent backed off to protect gaps in the back line. Rangers moved into the final third with the ball under their control on the ground, all thanks to Hagi’s third-man run.
The game against Dundee highlighted why these movements are so beneficial to Rangers. It can help to penetrate the man-to-man defensive systems so typical of Scottish football, and is a powerful form of chance creation.
Whether it’s performed by Arfield, Aribo or Hagi, the third-man run will remain an important attacking play as Steven Gerrard’s side try to retain their Premiership title.
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