Rangers structural issues 'need fixing' as lack of pace underpins Aberdeen draw

“It’s about us getting on the training pitch and working to fix the issues that we’ve got,” he said. “Certain things need addressing and looking at. But that’s something that excites me more than concerns me because I believe we can fix them.”

The Rangers manager wasn’t excusing his team but offering an explanation. It’s perhaps the first time this season a need for 'fixing' has been conceded.

Even those with a more optimistic leaning on events would struggle to defend eight dropped points at home by October.

In all three draws with Motherwell, Hearts and Aberdeen similar themes have been present.

Predictability aiding the opposition's gameplan, avoidable goals conceded and at times an approach that’s too one dimensional.

Aberdeen’s preparation pays off

The concession of the first goal tied together all of the issues experienced by the hosts on the night. A lack of pace up top, predictability in distribution and individual errors.

Christian Ramirez’s strike was not caused by ‘playing out from the back’ per se – but rather poor decision making.

Teams normally have a man advantage from goal-kicks - the goalkeeper - and attempt to play through or buy time for the requisite movement to create openings higher up the pitch. 

Against St Mirren, the long ball was often the option taken early on – but without any pace in the frontline, this ball becomes less valuable.

Furthermore, the only ‘breakaway pace’ in the team yesterday arguably came from Calvin Bassey – who had to remain deep from goal-kicks to support build-up. 

Put bluntly, Aberdeen knew none of Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Ianis Hagi were going to outrun their back three. They could gamble more than if Fashion Sakala had featured, for instance.

Gerrard said: “From a dead ball we decide to overplay in the wrong area and we don’t do it right and we gift the opening goal.”

It was the decision making of Connor Goldson, the angle of Jonny Hayes’ run and lack of a threat in behind that combined to cause the opener.

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

Often, forwards will press from in to out when the opposition has a goal-kick - to force the ball-receiving centre-back to play out wide. Below shows Connor Ronan do exactly this at the weekend.

Back to Wednesday now - look at the starting position of Hayes. He begins at the edge of the box to stop Goldson from playing into the highlighted space, likely where he wants to go.

Further analysis of Rangers' win over St Mirren shows a similar movement.

On the one occasion in which Eamonn Brophy clearly presses at an angle to show the ball infield instead of outside, Goldson goes long. 

Whether it be because of a desire to move their opponents or no dangerous runners up the pitch – there was no repeat against Aberdeen.

Forcing the ball into a central area is often a pressing trigger. Because the receiver has his back to play, shoulders closed and is gaining possession in such a dangerous zone of the pitch.

There is, if done quickly, the ability to play into James Tavernier in this scenario. But Goldson’s pass is slow which makes the task of John Lundstram so much more difficult. Even a ball into Glen Kamara would have been wiser.

There are no 'safety nets' for the Lundstram. He can’t return to Goldson or Jon McLaughlin.

The fact he can only play to Tavernier means Ryan Hedges can predict his subsequent body position. He has to open his body to play wide, which leaves just enough room for Hedges to block the pass.

The ball is stolen and Ramirez scores at the back post.

The second goal is more caused by a mistake than a set-piece routine.

Scott Brown and Ramirez do cross runs to buy space against Goldson and Tavernier, but the Rangers captain accepted responsibility for losing his man after the game.

“You’ve got to defend your box better when it comes down to set-plays,” was Gerrard’s admission.

Predictability and pace poses problems

Arguably, the first goal is a by-product of the hosts being too one-dimensional.

Stephen Glass’ team were set up to try and expose their opponents as they did, but why are they able to jump up and press so easily? Because there was no real pace in the home side to hurt them if it failed.

Similarly, against St Mirren in the opening 20 minutes on Sunday, Jim Goodwin's team could squeeze their backline up knowing there was no one in the visiting front three to outrun them.

READ MORE: Why are Rangers in such poor form? - video debate

The visitor's 3-4-3 allowed for plenty of bodies in central areas, blocking the central overloads on show against Hearts, with a single-player providing width out wide.

As seen in their average position map, the centre was congested and width maintained by either wing-back.

In our long-read on Michael Beale’s coaching philosophy, The Rangers Review explained his focus on attacking the space and causing maximum disruption to the opposing defence.

And while the team have plenty of variation in their midfield – which was expertly utilised against St Mirren to change the game – the use of full-backs is nearly always the same. Which in turn restricts the variation of attackers.

Look at the Rangers attacking position map comparatively to their opponents above, they didn’t expose the space to either side of the back three nearly enough. 

Too often they didn't go 'over' or 'around' when 'through' was not an option. The team selection didn't accommodate the former two options.

Glass' men could afford to overload and compact the space as they knew the areas they left free would only really be exploited by either full-back.

The Rangers Review has written before about the need to bring full-backs infield on occasion - which in turn would forward to attack vast spaces in games such as yesterdays and isolate defenders.

An example of the space Bassey was afforded yesterday is seen below. 

Sakala’s pace creates

Sakala was fouled for the penalty Tavernier would stick away – but his energy in the lead up to the goal was equally impactful. Here he wins the ball from Ojo soon after a turnover.

He then keeps play moving when found by Hagi. Before spinning in behind to win the penalty.

That simple injection of pace is all over this goal, the quick dart to win the penalty and win the ball back. He should have been on the pitch earlier.

Conclusion

The xG numbers at full-time stood at 2.41 to 0.82. While the game state was largely influenced by two early goals - Gerrard's team were not terrible.

The two games before this were encouraging. A win over Brondby and hard-fought three points in Paisley - in which the defence gave up just 0.06xG.

Analysis of this game would likely have been far different if Sakala had started, or were Ryan Kent fit. But, as Gerrard conceded post-match, his side have work to do on the training ground.