The alarming Rangers passing connections responsible for Union Euro horror show

The parallels to the present day are striking, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his players reeling from a 2-0 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium that leaves their Champions League qualification hopes hanging by a thread.

Although Rangers will feel aggrieved at the decision to award the Brussels outfit a penalty to double their advantage in the second half, few can dispute the argument that van Bronckhorst’s men were the architects of their downfall.

As predicted in the Rangers Review's pre-match analysis of Union, Karel Geraert's men set up in a 5-3-2 mid-block out of possession, restricting Rangers from playing into central midfield and instead forcing them around the outside.

Van Bronckhorst elected to match the hosts, with John Lundstram assuming a role in the backline alongside Connor Goldson and James Sands. Ryan Jack played at the base of midfield, with Glen Kamara afforded license to operate in a more advanced position.

However, it was somewhat of a surprise that, in the absence of Ryan Kent due to injury on the left, Rangers’ forward line was configured with Rabbi Matondo on the right and Malik Tillman stationed on the opposite side, flanking Antonio Colak as the lone forward.

Indeed, the USA international looked Rangers’ chief attacking threat in the opening exchanges, showing promise on the ball and delivering a cross for Colak that the Croatian ought to have converted from.

Although Rangers owned the vast majority of the ball, Union were very diligent in matching the rotations on the right-hand side. Van Bronckhorst’s side tend to build down James Tavernier’s flank given the captain’s creative prowess, but the side struggled to penetrate Union’s defensive line with the personnel on the right ill-suited to executing the required dynamic passing combinations.

As a result, Union restricted Rangers to possession in deep, unthreatening areas on the right-hand side of the pitch. The pass map from the defeat also underlines the team's inability to connect with the forward line, as well as a failure to construct attacks down the left-hand side.

In fact, Matondo registered just 12 receptions on the evening. The Welshman is a straight-line winger who is at his best when able to isolate his marker, but he was forced to operate in traffic with his back-to-goal, contributing to the side’s struggle to establish possession in the final third.

Rangers were guilty of attempting to force the ball through traffic on the right-hand side, playing into Union’s gameplan of pinning their opponents against the touchline.

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As Tavernier receives possession, he is immediately pressurised by Union’s left wing-back.

Instead of playing a return pass to Lundstram and allowing Rangers to circulate possession to the opposite side, the Rangers captain aims a clipped pass down the touchline.

However, it sails over Matondo’s head and Union can collect possession.

Coupled with the deployment Kamara in an advanced role, Rangers failed to consistently threaten Union’s backline with penetrating runs. The synchronised movements required to execute effective rotations were conspicuous in their absence.

Again as Tavernier receives on the right touchline, both Kamara and Matondo have made themselves inaccessible.

Indeed, as Kamara times his forward movement too early, he ends up on the same line as the Welshman. Union, therefore, do not need to commit bodies from either the midfield or defensive line to track any forward movements from Rangers players.

Tavernier is forced to go inside and Union can continue to restrict space.

Tavernier’s pass map from the evening both underlines the regularity in which he was forced to go back to the defence due to the pressure from Union, and his inability to connect with Matondo ahead and Kamara inside.

It created a three-fold scenario where, as Tavernier received the ball, the passing option down the line was typically inaccessible due to Matondo’s inability to receive with his back to goal. The option to clip the ball in-behind the Union backline was unavailable due to Kamara’s lack of third-man runs and the opportunity to play inside towards the No.9 in Colak was cut-off with the Croatian reluctant to drop short.

Even on the rare occasion where Rangers were successful in their positional rotation down the right-hand side, the execution was sorely lacking from Tavernier.

Indeed, the moment late in the second half where Goldson was caught on the ball to send Union racing through on goal for a chance to make it 3-0 on the evening was borne out of Colak's reluctance to detach himself from the forward line.

As the defender strides forward, he begins to motion for Colak to come short in receipt of a pass.

However, the Croatian is a split-second too late in doing so, forcing Goldson to turn backwards with Union applying pressure from both sides via their strike duo.

The defender then attempts a square pass at an awkward angle, presenting Union with a clear run through on goal as he gestures manically in frustration towards Colak.

Colak recorded a mere eight receptions on the evening, which contrasts starkly to Alfredo Morelos’ 20 receptions per 90 minutes in the Europa League last season.

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Van Bronckhorst alluded to the disconnect within the side as he discussed his side's performance. “We played the same system that we normally do. Especially the first seven on the pitch, they played in the Europa League final,” said the Dutchman.

“We looked like we were uncomfortable on the ball and that surprised me a bit today.”

Rangers certainly lacked conviction in possession, which contributed to their inability to exploit the underloaded left-hand side of the pitch. They were laborious in their circulation of the ball across defence and were guilty of passing square without a purpose.

With Lundstram in possession, Sands steps up from the left side of central defence and gestures for a pass across midfield.

However, Lundstram foregoes the option, which would have presented Rangers with a potential 3v1 opportunity involving Sands, Borna Barisic (out of frame) and Tillman on the opposite side of the pitch.

The ball is recycled to Goldson and Rangers, again, elect to attack down the congested right-hand side.

Rangers were stifled in their ability to connect both halves of the pitch, with Sands playing on his unfavoured side and unable to consistently step into the space and distribute forward passes. The Rangers Review recently outlined the merits of a balanced righty-lefty central defensive combination in creating optimum passing angles.

The Ibrox club were hamstrung by the misallocation of personnel in attack, with Tillman more equipped to carry out the role demanded of Matondo on the ball-near side given his qualities receiving with his back-to-goal. Indeed, the USA international ended the evening with just 11 receptions, with his early endeavour quickly curbed by Rangers’ insistence in directing traffic down the opposite side to the 20-year-old.

Kent’s absence, meanwhile, was keenly felt, but his capacity to stretch the pitch could have been replicated by Matondo, allowing Rangers to attack with better symmetry.

It is easy to forget that none of the attacking trio in Belgium were at the club last season, with time on the training pitch required to forge relationships with those behind them.

However, time is of the essence for Rangers and van Bronckhorst. Last season's Europa League finalists are staring down the barrel of a second successive Champions League qualifying exit and radical changes are certainly required to the approach witnessed in Belgium.