Andreas Skov Olsen scouted: Rangers transfer-linked attacker can attack the posts and 'keep the width'

He has been linked again recently with Rangers being credited with an interest alongside Besiktas and La Liga side Real Sociedad via Italian sports newspaper Il Resto de Carlino as a potential target in the January window.

Turning 22 on December 30th, Skov Olsen seems like he could be one who Rangers have their sights set on, especially given the lack of quality depth in the right-wing area of the squad.

Profile

Skov Olsen shot to prominence during a prolific spell in the 2018/19 Danish Superliga for FC Nordsjælland during the side’s 6th-place finish. He ended the season with a tally of 22 goals and four assists from 36 matches and just seven goals behind the eventual top scorer Robert Skov, who finished on 29.

That impressive form earned him a move to Serie A side Bologna for €6 million in the summer of 2019 but the man who has bags of energy, a strong left foot and is direct in his running hasn’t lived up to his early promise in Serie A. He's only starting four matches so far this campaign.

He will fit into Rangers’ system seamlessly if indeed, he is one who comes through the door in the winter transfer window as he fits the system by adding and bringing these three characteristics to the team.

Holding the width

One of the main strengths of Skov Olsen’s game is his ability to beat his man in one-v-one situations. He is very much at his best when facing up his opponent and taking him on.

In the image above from the match against Jose Mourinho’s Roma, you can see Bologna building an attack. Much like the Rangers wide players are asked to do under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Skov Olsen is holding his position wide, allowing him to take the defender to a one-v-one situation. During this phase of play, he is able to beat his man but after he chopped back inside, his cross was cleared.

Similarly here, he holds width and because Roma have to shuttle over to close him down he's able to get the ball under control, get it back onto his favoured left foot and get a shot on target.

Despite playing as a right-wingback during the Roma match, he and Hickey on the left found themselves very wide and able to contribute to Bologna’s attacks.

He’s seems something of a utility man for Bologna right now, playing right-wing back and right-wing but with just four starts to his name, the sample size for this season on its own is not ideal.

However, for Denmark during World Cup qualifying he played on a more consistent basis, meaning you got to see what Skov Olsen could bring when given a fair number of minutes - 581 to be exact and seven starts from 10 matches.

During the World Cup qualifying campaign, Denmark often played with a front three system, allowing Skov Olsen to play as the right attacker and his performances for the national side were far more conducive to getting the best out of the young attacker.

During these matches, he is able to show when playing as the out-and-out right-winger that he is able to stretch the game and play with chalk on his boots, just as van Bronckhorst likes.

This is during an almost Goldson-esque switch of play from Denmark vs Austria. Skov Olsen is visibly hugging the touchline. This starting position enables him to create a one-v-one situation, beat his man and get the cross in which Poulsen heads over. You could see the attraction given how well the long Goldson diagonals have worked with Joe Aribo and Kent in the recent past.

From that match, you can see from his average position – with him being higher – he is better in attacking situations, similar to what we have seen from his tactics when selecting Ryan Kent and Fashion Sakala in the wide areas for Rangers under the new manager.

The space invader

Skov Olsen possesses a quality that, Fashion Sakala apart, Rangers are lacking when it comes to their wide options – the ability to come in at the back post to provide a more potent attacking threat.

Skov Olsen has scored six goals in the calendar year, and as a comparison, Ianis Hagi, who is currently playing in the right wing position Skov Olsen would potentially occupy has 11.

However, given the transition of manager and Hagi’s role changes, Skov Olsen seems to score one particular type of goal – he attacks the posts.

This is summed up in three of his six goals of the aforementioned calendar year. They are very similar and possess that sniffing instinct he was renowned for during that breakout 2018/19 Superliga season.

Attacking the back post and anticipation is what gets Skov Olsen this goal. It looks so tight to play through left from centre, but the Faroese deflection is seized upon by the 21-year-old as he attacks the highlighted space to get himself on the scoresheet.

In the build up to this goal against Israel, he is in the position to attack the back post as the ball is at the left side. However, instead of making the run beyond, he shows intelligence. Olsen is able to see that Damsgaard is being closed down by two Israeli defenders, and he hangs back, holds his position, allowing himself the angle to receive the pass, and unleashes an unstoppable shot past the keeper.

Goal-side in this example, he finished like a striker. He gets the run on his full-back and attacks the post. This means he gives himself the time and space to tap home. This kind of goal has been a theme during his career; it’s not by accident that he is able to get himself into these types of goalscoring positions when the ball is on the opposite flank.

How does he fit in when out of possession?

The last question regarding Skov Olsen’s potential move to Rangers is how he would he fit in when the team are without the ball. Stylistically Rangers are much closer to Skov Olsen’s Denmark side rather than Bologna, and that could be key for him to fit into Gio’s high-pressing front four.

Ianis Hagi has a better recovery rate per 90 and a better recovery rate in the final third. It is probably the weakest part of Skov Olsen’s game but it has to come with a plethora of caveats: he plays in a top five league for a team who have less of the ball than Rangers and he hasn’t had as many minutes as the Romanian.

But given how little football the Dane has played compared to Hagi in the last 12 months you could see his numbers improving, especially playing in the style that GVB employs.

Conclusion

Van Bronckhorst spoke on the transfer window recently and said: “It's always good to have the squad you want at the end of the window, it's never good when you are a less squad than when you came in.

“The objective for us is when the transfer window ends we should have a quality squad as well."

If we take that at face value and given how the squad is shaped so far, Skov Olsen would be a valuable addition. Whether Rangers and Ross Wilson can do a deal if the interest is genuine, is another matter, but in terms of fitting into the system, the Bologna man looks like he can fill a gaping hole in the current 4-2-3-1 system.