WHEN Giovanni van Bronckhorst first revealed his backroom team upon taking over at Ibrox, eyes were instantly drawn to the name of former Bayern Munich striker Roy Makaay.
It was a sign of intent from the Dutchman that he was keen to extract every inch of the side’s goalscoring potential, with Alfredo Morelos instantly benefitting from Makaay's influence. However, it is still fair to contend that Rangers’ lack of clinical edge infront of goal undermined their title defence last term. Recent transfer links to former Bodo/Glimt forward Erik Botheim, as well Champions League nemesis Antonio Colak, appear clear evidence that the Dutchman has identified a goalscoring issue.
In his narrow 4-3-3, Steven Gerrard’s system lent itself to greater flexibility among the forwards. With the width in the team provided by the full-backs it afforded the former Rangers boss with the license to supercharge his forward line with more central striking options.
Kemar Roofe, for instance, would often line up on the right-hand side of the attacking trio, with Morelos deployed in his customary central striking role. In doing so, it added a second penalty box presence to increase the side’s threat from wide deliveries. Roofe’s strike in the 4-0 win in Dingwall against Ross County in the 2020/21 campaign illustrates the benefits of this perfectly.
As Morelos drops short to receive a pass...
...Roofe retains his threat on the last line of the opposition.
Rangers work the ball expertly to free James Tavernier down the right-hand side, who can square the ball across goal to the Jamaican who is perfectly placed to slide home.
Van Bronckhorst inherited a wide selection of central striking options following Gerrard’s departure, with the previous Gers coaching team having invested considerably in the position given the need to provide his narrow forward line with a clinical edge. However, the Dutchman made it clear last season that he prefers to play with a wider front line, reintroducing direct wingers that Gerrard had gradually discarded during his time at Ibrox.
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The role of the central striker was therefore tweaked with an even greater emphasis on the No.9 retaining a central presence to maximise the space on the sides for the wingers to attack into. It brought Rangers more closely in line with van Bronckhorst’s Feyenoord outfit.
During his time in Rotterdam, the Gers boss typically carried three centre forwards in his squad: Nicolai Jorgensen, Michiel Kramer and Robin van Persie. The former two strikers stand at over six foot four inches, while van Persie is no slouch in the height department at six foot. Van Bronckhorst evidently cherished a physical focal point capable of attracting defenders to open up space elsewhere on the pitch. Indeed, Jorgensen was deployed consistently as the lone central striker under van Bronckhorst, with the Dane averaging only 14.63 receptions per 90 minutes during Feyenoord’s title-winning campaign in 2016/17.
The forward never looked to consistently drop short into midfield areas, looking instead to occupy the penalty area in search of chances. Jorgensen ended the league season with over five touches per 90 minutes in the opposition’s penalty area. A good number of the Dane’s goals that season came through sheer opportunism, as highlighted in the example below.
As the ball is cut across, Jorgensen takes a slightly heavy first touch which pops the ball into the air.
However, the Dane makes a nuisance of himself, putting his body infront of the defender as he attempts to head the ball to safety.
Jorgensen is first to react to the loose ball on the ground, before firing under the goalkeeper from a tight angle.
It was a game that Feyenoord, trailing 3-1 on 89 minutes, brought back to 3-3 as Jorgensen’s goal proved critical in their late comeback. More pertinently, however, the goal underlined the rugged importance of the central striker in van Bronckhorst’s system. Football at the elite level has seen a reduction in the goalscoring responsibilities of a No.9 – with the role often filled by an attacking midfielder as exhibited at Manchester City recently – yet the Dutchman prefers to retain those traditional goalscoring qualities within his team.
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Van Bronckhorst wants his centre forward to occupy the last line of the opposition, creating danger and exploiting opportunities in the penalty area. One of the ‘what ifs’ that emerged in the post-mortem of last season’s failed title defence was van Bronckhorst’s reluctance to utilise Roofe before it was too late in the campaign. However, for all of the Jamaica international’s undoubted penalty box qualities, he doesn’t occupy defenders as much as the Dutchman likes from his central striker.
It is a similar tale with Fashion Sakala Jr. The Zambian posted impressive numbers infront of goal in his debut season at Ibrox, but he was predominantly used off the sides due to his inability to hold the ball up as a central option. The 1-0 defeat to Braga in Portugal in the Europa League quarter-final certainly looks like a watershed moment in Sakala’s Rangers career.
It means that, with PAOK forward Antonio Colak strongly linked with a move to Ibrox, the Croatian needs to be a physical option to complement Morelos in the squad. Colak’s ability to occupy the penalty box will be critical, not only to retain his goal threat but equally to maximise the spaces for Rangers to attack through the wingers. Similarly, the Croatian has shown a proficiency in latching onto through passes, yet he will be required to replicate that fleet of foot movement at cut-back opportunities.
Crucially, however, the 28-year-old must be comfortable acting as the focal point of attack for the team to pivot around. Morelos is comfortable at receiving with his back to goal as a direct passing option while Rangers provoke high pressure from the opposition.
A criticism levelled at van Bronckhorst last season was his apparent inability to manage the squad correctly. Morelos looked visibly fatigued during the early Spring months after a hectic domestic and international schedule, although with Rangers’ title defence faltering the Dutchman was hesitant to take the Colombian out of the team.
The 26-year-old’s season was ended just weeks later following injury on international duty, with Roofe thrust into the team before his persistent injury issues kicked on following the emotional Braga comeback at Ibrox in the Europa League quarter-finals.
It is an issue that van Bronckhorst will be keen to avoid heading into his first full campaign as Rangers boss, with Colak likely to be trusted to a greater immediate extent than Roofe given his arrival will be signed off by the Dutchman.
Van Bronckhorst has a clear vision around the profile of centre forward required to function in his team, and he may have gotten a step closer to realising it.
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