Rangers' full-back evolution: Half-space increase, crossing decline and defensive boost

His Aston Villa team have adopted the same approach he set in motion at Ibrox, with Matty Cash and Lucas Digne granted attacking freedom to push high and provide the team’s width.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s favoured interpretation of the 4-3-3 is more traditional than his predecessor’s 4-3-2-1, in keeping with his Dutch footballing heritage it features wingers, rather than two No.10s, and less adventurous full-backs.

“You can see that the full-backs don’t have the same things to do like under Gerrard,” Borna Barisic said in January when speaking about the change in tactics. 

“It is part of the tactic, every game is different, it’s not always the same. For me, sometimes I can go up and down, sometimes not. But it depends on the opponent.”

The manager has tweaked his tactics regularly since arriving in Glasgow, gradually granting more freedom to James Tavernier at right-back and Barisic or Calvin Bassey at left-back.

But after a full pre-season to condition the squad in his way of playing without interruption, it’s likely we’ll see his favoured domestic template. Given the significance of full-backs in modern football, can the past inform the future?

What do the stats say?

As will be elaborated upon throughout this piece, van Bronckhorst has switched tactics regularly and with that, the role and responsibility of his full-backs.

If we look generally at the Premiership matches Barisic and Tavernier played under both managers this season, we can see differences in both players’ output. Bassey is not included in this statistical review, given he spent so much of the season at centre-back.

Tavernier’s performance seems to have improved since the managerial change last November.

His matches under Gerrard are marked in red and van Bronckhorst blue.

The captain was far more active defensively over a number of metrics after the change in manager. Notice his crossing numbers have dropped marginally, from 1.62 to 1.23 successful crosses per 90, along with his creative output (xG assisted) which has dipped slightly, by 0.05.

READ MORE: The previous Allan McGregor Rangers bounce back and the tactical change that exposed him

Barisic’s radar tells a similar story.

Again his successful crosses have dropped per 90, from 2.0 to 1.52, but he is more defensibly active, responsible in the build-up (xGBuildUp) with an increase from 0.71 to 0.83 and also six percent less likely to be dribbled past (Tack/Dribbled Past).

Broadly, we can see both players have had a greater defensive onus placed on them by van Bronckhorst. 

Van Bronckhorst’s tactical evolution

Under Gerrard, the full-backs had to get through a power of work.

While out of possession they were part of the back four, in attack they provided width and formed part of a front five, or six, with the three forwards, as demonstrated in the below pass network.

This facilitated the use of two No.10s, who played close to Alfredo Morelos, occupying the valuable half-spaces and playing close to goal. While one midfielder would often play in an advanced position, a double-pivot midfield covered the forward movement of either full-back, to protect the space they vacated.

Van Bronckhorst immediately changed the tactical template he inherited. Early on in his tenure, the full-backs were far less adventurous in their positioning, the midfield more offensive with their starting positions and both No.10s reverted to wingers.

In the below pass map notice the full-backs are receiving passes in their own half, as opposed to the Gerrard example.

Scott Arfield’s goal in the Dutchman’s inaugural league encounter, a 3-1 win over Livingston, shows deep full-backs, aggressive midfield runners and wide wingers.

Here’s a further helpful example. Under Gerrard, a midfielder was responsible for dropping deep into the full-back position…

…And progressing the ball into the final third, where the full-back was occupying a wide position.

Under van Bronckhorst, the left-back in particular is more often responsible for progressing the ball into the final third…

…And arriving into dangerous areas from a deeper starting position.

This system would encounter issues as teams got to grips with the new approach they were facing. 

Barisic and Tavernier had been two of Rangers’ most creative players and the squad was built to provide assists from full-back rather than midfield.

Quickly, the manager realised he needed to get Tavernier into the high areas regularly and allow Barisic to join attacks, this was attempted in two stages.

Firstly, a back three in possession was trialled, with Barisic tucking infield and Tavernier granted attacking freedom. As seen against Ross County in January. 

In the first-half, County shut off passes into Glen Kamara, the only midfielder showing for the ball.

With Tavernier and Barisic remaining wide and glued to the touchline, they were easy to press. Thick lines across the defence and Kamara’s position between the centre-backs in the below pass map demonstrate a real lack of forward ball progression.

Here’s an example. With no space for Aribo and Arfield to attack behind the defence, and the pair seemingly instructed not to drop into the highlighted space, Kamara’s options are limited.

He passes backwards to Bassey, given both full-backs have opponents ready to apply pressure…

…Who forces a pass that isn’t on with his options similarly scarse. 

In the second-half, this map includes subs, van Bronckhorst moved to a back three in possession. With Ryan Kent and Tavernier providing width while Barisic tucked infield.

The captain’s equalising goal demonstrated the merits of this approach. By playing with three men in the first line of possession, Rangers can stretch the space Ross County’s centre-forward was forced to cover.

Tavernier’s well-timed rotation inside the pitch takes his man with him, opening a direct passing lane to the feet of Amad Diallo, positioned in the final third, given his marker has remained narrow to protect the central space.

This allows Rangers to create qualitative superiority. Meaning, that they isolate a player one-v-one in who has real quality in this situation.

Indeed, after Amad turns his marker inside out he tests the keeper, who in turn parries a shot into the path of Tavernier, attacking the box due to the change of shape and able to equalsie.

This second-half shape fell victim to a midfield overhaul following the subsequent 3-0 Old Firm defeat, while the lack of a consistent option on the right-wing, until Scott Wright popped up in a hybrid role nearer the end of the season, limited the qualitative superiority Rangers could create without Tavernier pinned to the touchline.

READ MORE: How Giovanni van Bronckhorst answered Steven Gerrard’s pre-season variation admission

Increasingly, we saw Tavernier stay high on the last line and receive long diagonals from Goldson.

While in European competition, Ryan Jack often rotated into the backline, allowing his captain to move higher.

Increasing in the half-space

Way back in September 2021, the Rangers Review suggested that inverting the full-backs wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

It's important to have players on different lines horizontally and laterally on the pitch, to occupy varying zones and stretch the opposition. And, by always doing the same thing, pushing the full-backs up and bringing the No.10s inside, Gerrard’s Rangers were becoming slightly predictable.

Gradually, since moving away from the high and wide 4-3-3 which was taken apart at Celtic park, van Bronckhorst has unleashed his full-backs in different ways, increasing their half-space involvement, an area of the field outlined below.

And while the shape witnessed away at Ross County featured full-backs inside the pitch most prominently, their involvement in similar areas has increased even after the shift to a two-man midfield.

This pass made by Bassey in a 5-0 over Hearts offers an excellent example.

By sitting inside the pitch and allowing Kent to pin his marker wide, the Nigerian can slide the ball through the defence.

On the other side, Wright played a winger/No.10 hybrid role towards the end of last season which occasionally allowed Tavernier to pop up in the middle.

All three have been far more active in the half-space under van Bronckhorst.

Under Gerrard, Tavernier averaged 8.2 passes from the half-space per 90.

Under van Bronckhorst, that number has risen to 13.5, with an increase in passes played to a winger hugging the touchline. 

Under Gerrard, Barisic averaged six passes from the half-space per 90.

Under van Bronckhorst, that number has risen to 9.4, with a similar increase in diagonal passes to a touchline-hugging winger.

Given Bassey has played so regularly at centre-back, it’s difficult to decipher his pass map. But if we look at his time under Gerrard…

...Compared to van Bronckorst there is a clear increase of involvement in the opposition half. 

Similar themes are evident in the attacking half.

Van Bronckhorst's Feyenoord team didn't boast great creativity from full-back. However, the squad he inherited at Ibrox featured players conditioned to attack from this area.

As shown, he has increased their defensive responsibility while also working on solutions to include them in the attacking phase. Next season, supporters should expect to see the Dutchman increase their activity inside the pitch, with Gerrard's high and wide approach gradually eroded.