Scott Wright offers Rangers right wing 'short-term succession' with on the margin contributions

The Dutchman had released the proverbial handbrake in wins over Hearts and Dundee in December by deploying Fashion Sakala and Ryan Kent on the flanks, but the inclusion of Ianis Hagi pointed to a greater emphasis on retaining the ball.

However, the 2-0 victory over the Buddies prior to the winter break saw the inclusion of Scott Wright from the off, rewarded for his impressive cameo against Dundee United in the previous week.

His performance offered van Bronckhorst food for thought. The Dutchman has spoken openly about his affection for classic wingers – the profile Steven Gerrard moved away from at the end of 2018/19 – and Wright falls under that category as a short-term option.

Indeed, the common perception when Wright arrived from Aberdeen 12 months ago was that he was more in the mould of Hagi. Instead, the evidence points to him being similar to Daniel Candeias.

StatsBomb radars offer a comparison in players’ roles between timeframes, with Wright’s profile changing vastly since the arrival of van Bronckhorst.

It’s important to caveat that Wright accumulated just under double the number of minutes under Gerrard (top) this season than he has since van Bronckhorst’s arrival (bottom), but the comparison is still telling.

Naturally, Wright’s successful dribble volume has increased with a greater responsibility to carry the ball and more space to operate away from central areas.

Most noticeable, however, is the increase in Wright’s shooting output. The winger has seen a reduction in his attempts under van Bronckhorst, but the increase in his xG per shot – total xG divided by the number of shots taken – suggests he is taking his shots closer to goal and in better locations.

If we take a look at Wright’s shot map this season, the three shots he has taken closest to goal have all come under van Bronckhorst.

The links to Bologna winger Andreas Skov Olsen make sense for Rangers, and it suggests that van Bronckhorst is seeking to play with inverted wingers as he did with great success at Feyenoord.

Inverted wingers – left-footed players playing on the right-wing and vice versa – typically boast a greater goal and creative threat as they can drive infield closer to the centre of the goal, whereas traditional wingers tend to operate on the margins on the pitch and create from deliveries into the penalty box.

However, there is still merit in the classic winger role, and Wright displayed in his performance against St. Mirren that he could provide a valuable short-term option.

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The 24-year-old was very effective at attacking space, which often opened up behind Scott Tanser in the St. Mirren backline.

In the example below, Wright collects the ball and identifies the space which he can burst into.

With Tanser haring towards him in an attempt to win the ball, the winger anticipates the momentum of the St. Mirren left-back and knocks the ball around him at just the right moment.

With Tanser having committed, Wright has acres of space to burst into to create a scoring opportunity for his side.

Wright’s ability to anticipate the momentum of defenders was also evident in the first half in an opportunity closer to goal.

In the first instance, Wright uses his close control to draw Tanser towards him, before exploding past him at just the right moment to exploit the space behind.

As St. Mirren central defender, Charles Dunne, rushes across to thwart the danger, Wright is again able to use the defender’s momentum against him, poking the ball through his legs as he attempts a tackle before crossing into the box.

What makes Wright such an effective winger in the traditional sense is his acceleration, which was on show in his substitute appearance in the 1-0 win over Dundee United last month.

In the images below Wright is able to escape from the attentions of Scott McMann (Dundee United’s left-back) and exploit unoccupied space.

Wright receives the ball with his back to goal as McMann attempts to force him into a backwards pass.

However, Wright dribbles infield with the ball, attracting McMann along with him.

He then quickly changes direction, creating separation from his marker and space to attack before exploding away from McMann.

Because there are fewer opportunities to create dangerous, central combinations as a traditional winger – as opposed to an inverted winger – the role largely requires a high level of consistency in the final third. It is this area that has escaped Wright in his Rangers career so far.

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The 24-year-old has a tendency to snatch at the ball in dangerous areas, as seen at the end of his burst into the penalty box against St. Mirren Wright also struck the post from inside the penalty area in that game.

The former Aberdeen man is capable of striking through the ball, but he needs to become more cultured with his shooting and slow the process down in some instances.

Van Bronckhorst’s search for a right-sided winger surely lies at the top of his priorities going forward.

Although no formal approach has been made for Skov Olsen, the mooted fee falls somewhere along the line of the outlay required to upgrade in that position.

But in the short-term Wright offers an interesting option, with his searing pace and ability to burst past players in one-on-one situations.

Traditional wingers have often been consigned to history, but with Ryan Kent providing balance on the opposite side, there is scope for Rangers to use Wright effectively on the opposite flank.