THE pre-World Cup run of matches was supposed to return results and performances for Rangers, leaving the New Year Old Firm tie as an opportunity to go top of the table.

After coming back from September’s international break they were tasked with navigating a trip to Tynecastle, where they comfortably secured three points. Then came a 4-0 win against St Mirren and a grinding away victory at Motherwell. Off the back of a 7-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool, you could understand the argument that it was very much about the result and not the performance in Lanarkshire that day.

However, the Rangers Review wrote afterwards of the ‘unsustainable’ chance creation numbers van Bronckhorst’s side were recording in relation to results. The Motherwell showing was fine in isolation, every team will have bad days and it’s no bad thing to make a habit of winning on them. But if the trends continue, the results are likely to tail off and there’s been little about the style of play to suggest an upturn.

One month on from that win at Fir Park, last year's Europa League finalists are nine points behind and trust in the manager has largely dissipated. Two points were taken from matches against St Mirren, St Johnstone and Livingston. A run that simply cannot happen for any team with title ambitions. 

Before the trip to McDiarmid Park, the underlying numbers away from home suggested dropped points may be around the corner and factoring in Antonio Colak’s drop-off in front of goal, that has very much come to pass.

More than results alone, it was the performances in all three of these games that has generated just as much anger. Yes, injuries have played a part and confidence has undoubtedly been shot by the Champions League campaign. But could anyone who has sat through the three mentioned matches say with confidence the Ibrox side actually deserved more from them?

After St Mirren went ahead in Saturday’s second-half Rangers could only create 0.43xG from open play in almost a half of football. Penalty aside, there was a lack of dangerous attacking moments. Only Ryan Kent’s individualism to go beyond two players and earn the spot-kick saved van Bronckhorst from a further defeat, just like his assist to do the same against Livingston and a moment of magic to create the winner against Hearts last midweek.

Rangers Review:

Away in Perth, despite 29 shots Rangers had the second-lowest chance quality in the entire division over that weekend. 11 efforts were blocked and 17 were taken from more than 12 yards. This game wasn’t a story of unfulfilled chances, it exposed an inability to break down the defence and numerous poor final third decisions provide proof of such.

At home to Livingston, repetitive crosses were so predictable the visitors orchestrated their game plan to counteract the tactic.

“Up until the sending-off, I think we were in control,” David Martindale said after the game.

“It may not have looked like that because we gave up possession. We knew we could deal with cross balls from wide areas. We stopped them. We limited them to very little. We knew would probably get very few opportunities ourselves and we would have to take them. We did that very early on.

“Bar probably the strike from Lundstram and a save from our keeper, I don’t think we had a lot to worry about. With eleven men, I genuinely think we would have picked up three points."

Martindale’s comments are insightful because they show a team doesn’t need the ball to have control. So often in this trio of matches, the opposition have been comfortable while Rangers have had possession. 

Showing them into preferred areas of the pitch, minimising space behind the defence to prevent long diagonals, doubling up on the dynamic Kent and compacting the centre.

Despite averaging 76 per cent possession and 22 shots over the three encounters, van Bronckhorst's team averaged just 1.74xG per 90. Not much to show for total ownership of the ball.

How can a manager capable of taking this team to penalty kicks in a European final struggle so obviously in run-of-the-mill Scottish Premiership matches? How can the nights against Dortmund, Braga, Red Star and Leipzig co-exist months apart from this pre-World Cup run?

As my colleague Jonny McFarlane summarised after the defeat in Perth, the Dutchman’s spell in Scotland feels like a failure of philosophy.

"A tactical tinkerman to his core, van Bronckhorst would be ideal for a team looking to employ a boss who can use his football brain to make a team punch above its weight. 

“What he's not is a philosophy manager whose consistency of message encourages a level of automation that leaves domestic defences under constant siege. Ultimately, that's the plan needed to wrest this title back from across the city.”

Winning the last month’s run of matches is not just required but essential for any manager who wants to be top in May.

The issue is not only dropped points, it’s the reality that Rangers got exactly what transpired and provided little evidence it won't happen again. For the large majority they had ownership of the ball but the opposition were almost always in control. 

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