Michael Beale didn't get Rangers substitutes wrong against Celtic

While Celtic could turn to the bench and bring on Jota, Liel Abada, Aaron Mooy, Josip Juranovic and Giorgos Giakoumakis, Rangers’ options were limited. Antonio Colak and Kemar Roofe would’ve provided firepower if the aim had been goals but to shore up the midfield and keep Celtic at bay, neither were the answer.

A look at the respective options available to both managers provides more context.

Of course, any squad comparison requires an injury caveat. Tom Lawrence, Ridvan Yilmaz, John Souttar, Filip Helander, Steven Davis and Ianis Hagi were all unavailable for Rangers  yesterday. Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou was without Anthony Ralston, Sead Haksabanovic, Stephen Welsh and David Turnbull, although still abe to call on a greater compliment of starting regulars.

That contextualises the options Beale had available. He didn’t have a Davis to shore up control of the midfield as was the case against Hibs recently and Ryan Jack had to replace John Lundstram rather than join him in the middle of the park.

Speaking at a recent press conference, Beale referenced the importance of using the bench to close up games, citing a certain Bongani Zungu. Not perceived as a player who made his mark at Ibrox, the manager offered an alternative viewpoint.

"In the season where we won the league, I think Bongani Zungu played more than twenty times but nobody noticed him play five, but it was important he came on in certain games."

So what of the approach when ahead?

In this writer’s mind, it’s not accurate to say that Rangers handed Celtic control after turning the game for a number of reasons.

Firstly, the xG trendline, which charts all of the game’s chances, shows that both sides had three shots after James Tavernier’s penalty to put the home side ahead and before the visitors equalised. Rangers’ xG in that time period was 0.16 to their opponents’ 0.21.

Secondly, Beale’s team did not fall back, give up control of their final third and defend the penalty box. Rather they tried to keep a high line and limit the space Celtic were able to play within. 

“It was not the intention if I am honest to sit back in, that’s why we are frustrated,” he said when quizzed on the matter at full-time.

“But good teams at times in the game will make you do it. Obviously, the team has been put through some trauma this season and you are on the sidelines trying to will them forward, as every time we did go down and press we nicked the ball quite high.”

READ MORE: Michael Beale's Rangers tactic that should've beaten Celtic

He’s correct to point out the transitional opportunities Rangers had, most notably Malik Tillman’s blocked shot that could’ve made it 3-1. That perhaps explains why Scott Arfield didn’t come on despite his tenacity without the ball and defensive discipline, as Beale wanted his wingers and forward to be able to carry the ball up the pitch in transition.

Celtic were also playing with four forwards for the final 15 minutes. Beale responded by bringing on James Sands from the bench two minutes later. The American's introduction made sense in theory because he offered an extra defensive body as the home team moved from their 4-4-2 block to a 4-5-1.

However, he dallied on the ball and Celtic almost stole in behind in one notable moment, failing to shore up the game as he was surely brought onto do, just like Zungu.

An centre-back in Leon King could’ve provided more security, admittedly. The counterargument is that Rangers had managed to keep their opponents away from the final third relatively successfully, and moving to a back five could’ve seen them naturally fall deeper.

Fashion Sakala was a far better outlet on the right than Scott Wright who also arrived on from the bench. Like Sands’ introduction, it was likely in part owing to circumstance. Lundstram had to be replaced after taking a knock, Tillman looked exhausted after a box-to-box showing and Alfredo Morelos has been carrying a hamstring issue in recent weeks.

Don't mistake the tone of this piece, however. There were induvial mistakes in the lead-up to Kyogo’s equaliser as well as an important structural failing. Like the first goal, Rangers contributed significantly to their own undoing. 

Judging by Beale's post-match comments, the shape prior to the goal came against instructions. 

“It was the first time in the game that we stopped doing what I asked them to do defensively,” Beale said.

“We were following runners the wrong way rather than getting up to the ball. It’s disappointing because we were two or three minutes from winning the game but there were a lot of things in the performance that I needed to see.”

What does Beale mean by “following runners the wrong way”? Celtic’s equaliser came just a minute on from a breakaway opportunity that Glen Kamara and Ryan Kent were unable to capitalise on. It left Rangers stretched and in response they perhaps dropped deeper than previous minutes.

As you can see in the image above and below, instead of getting up to the ball Jack follows Aaron Mooy’s movement into the backline. Leaving a gap towards the right-hand side.

Rangers, who have overloaded the space around the ball and ran towards it rather than dropping off all game, subsequently give Jota too much room on this same side.

This seems to be what Beale's alluding to when citing his team "not doing what I asked defensively for the first time in the game".

James Tavernier is beaten easily, Wright also backtracks with the movement of Juranovic instead of “getting up to the ball” and nobody provides a clearance once play reaches the penalty box.

As previously discussed, the implementation of Beale’s off-ball philosophy holds equal importance to the style he’s trying to introduce on the ball.

After a game in which Rangers gave up very little off the ball, a key series of mistakes at a key moment of the game proved costly.