The Rangers players no longer guaranteed starts under Giovanni van Bronckhorst amid signs of decline

Using data to help cut through some of the noise, here we will assess the performance levels of five key first-team players.

ALLAN MCGREGOR

Early on this season, McGregor found himself competing with Jon McLaughlin for the goalkeeper spot. One of the club’s greatest ever ‘keepers, and the supporters’ player of the year last season, he was rotated in and out.

There was a reasonable argument to be made that he should no longer be the team’s designated No.1, especially after his costly mistake for Hearts’ equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Ibrox. But form is temporary, and class is permanent. Jaw-dropping, point-blank stops in recent wins over Livingston and Sparta Prague have helped to alter perceptions.

Still, Statsbomb data suggests that McGregor’s performance levels have dipped in several key areas. Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) measures how many goals a keeper saves or concedes versus what they were expected to. McGregor’s GSAA has gone from 0.19 last term to -0.13 this season. On top of that, his save percentage has dropped from 87% to 56%, a noteworthy drop-off.

CONNOR GOLDSON

Goldson has been remarkably consistent since joining Rangers in 2018, rarely missing a game, scoring plenty of goals from set-pieces and being a vocal member of the team’s leadership group under Gerrard. However, there has been non-stop speculation surrounding his future, with his contract expiring next summer.

That speculation has helped to form a narrative that the 28-year-old isn’t fully committed to the cause anymore, and that his performances have suffered as a consequence. But does perception equal reality in this case? Statsbomb data suggests otherwise, with no major drop-offs in key defensive metrics this season. In fact he is fouling less, being dribbled past less, and intercepting more.

Goldson has always had a mistake in him. He nearly let in Mohamed Elyounoussi to score for Celtic during the opening Old Firm derby of last season. Caught under the ball, he lost his surroundings, but Elyounoussi skied his shot and Rangers went on to win 2-0. Perhaps the only difference now is that these errors are being noticed and scrutinised more than before?

JAMES TAVERNIER

Tavernier was Rangers’ top scorer in all competitions last season, hitting a remarkable 19 goals from right-back. Of course, many of them were penalties, but it was impressive stuff nonetheless. The 30-year-old hasn’t been so prolific this year and, without the same goal contribution, he has come under scrutiny for issues in other areas of his game.

Most noticeable were mistakes made at set-pieces that led to goals conceded against Aberdeen and Motherwell, where he reacted too late or simply failed to mark his man.

Looking at Statsbomb data, there are two noteworthy areas of decline. One is in Pressures, which shows the number of times a player pressures an opponent. Tavernier averaged 10.83 per 90 minutes last season, but that has dropped to 7.34. The other is Tackled/Dribbled Past Percentage, which has dropped from 75% to 65%, indicating he is being beaten more often in defensive duels.

With Rangers fans desperate to see more of Nathan Patterson, Tavernier has no room for error. Unfortunately, his decline in performance this season can be seen in video and in the data, so his position may come under threat.

STEVEN DAVIS

At 36 years of age, it’s understandable that Davis’ minutes on the pitch are being ‘managed’. With John Lundstram looking better as a No.6 than a No.8 and Ryan Jack returning from injury, there are now more options to choose from when the Northern Irishman is rested. And yet nobody has managed to truly replace the veteran.

The truth is that Rangers still need Davis. In spite of his age, his lack of physicality, and the fact he has adapted to the deep playmaker role late in his career, he continues to put up decent numbers for tackles, interceptions and pressure regains in spite of his lack of physicality.

He’s also the best passer in Rangers’ midfield. None of the others can ping a diagonal or weight a through ball like Davis can. He’s dribbling less and winning fewer fouls this season, but that’s alright when he’s next to the likes of Glen Kamara, Joe Aribo and Juninho Bacuna.

ALFREDO MORELOS

One of the emerging themes since Van Bronckhorst took charge is that Morelos must spend more time in the penalty box. This follows the narrative that the striker was becoming more involved in build-up play, dropping back into midfield to link up, and less involved in finishing moves.

Statsbomb data doesn’t really back that idea up, though. This season, Morelos is averaging 10.5 touches in the penalty box compared to 9.23 last season. What isn’t in doubt is that he isn’t scoring so consistently. And worse than that, he is under-performing his expected goals more than before. Sitters like the one below against Hearts haven’t helped in this respect.

There’s no doubt the Colombian hasn’t been at his best this term. Confidence is a big thing for strikers, and perhaps his is lower than usual, but he also isn’t making his own luck - he’s shooting much less often nowadays. Perhaps he will benefit from the re-focusing of his role by Van Bronckhorst.