Celtic were made to feel uncomfortable for around 10 minutes of yesterday’s Old Firm derby. Rangers started aggressively and fashioned a couple of openings but after their high press was played through for the first time, when VAR flagged Kyogo’s goal for offside, something shifted.
This was another game for Philippe Clement where, ultimately, his side's off-ball approach didn't work.
Belief seemed to drain in one side and grow in the other after that early flashpoint. Celtic always score the first goal in this fixture and with a headstart, never appear likely to be caught. While Clement's side had chances and could highlight individual errors leading to the goals they conceded there’s far too much evidence to brand this as anything other than exactly what it was - the current script of an Old Firm game.
Why didn’t Rangers press high after the opening exchanges, how bad was Jack Butland's error and why do the Ibrox side continue to concede similar goals at Parkhead? The Rangers Review rewatched yesterday’s game to find out.
Why did the high press stop?
Early on, Rangers’ aggressive man-for-man approach and plan to play through the Celtic press patiently at the other end worked - but only for 10 minutes. Clement’s plan was to meet the hosts high up the pitch at goal-kicks and force long balls, or intercept possession in high areas.
There were a few issues with this approach. The visitor’s defence lacked the pace to deal with Kyogo and Daizen Maeda and one chink in the armour of a high press like Rangers’ when lacking pace behind can unhinge the whole thing. Celtic's third-man combinations to play a step ahead of Rangers' pressing approach were a constant threat.
Here's an early example in the lead-up to Kyogo's offside goal. Rangers have pinned Celtic deep in their half but the hosts use a third-man combination, playing narrow before playing wide, to earn some time on the ball at full-back.
That gives Alastair Johnson the seconds necessary to consider his next move.
Moving inside on his weaker left foot, although unable to find Callum McGregor directly he spots Reo Hatate who can lay a pass into the Celtic captain instead. This is the issue with a man-marking job - although Mohamed Diomande is close to McGregor it only takes one moment of manipulation for the visitor's entire press to break.
Hatate finds McGregor who can attack an unprotected defence. Why? The front half of the Rangers team have pressed while the defence have stayed put - leaving McGregor to pick his pass at a front three attacking into space.
This scenario sums up the issue with Rangers' approach. For 10 minutes it was proactive and setting the tone, thereafter it was reactive and never on the front foot. The defence didn't join the midfield, leaving this big exploitable gap.
Clement’s side required an early goal and the chance immediately before this action, Rabbi Matondo’s header that was sent wide, is another lesson in game state and timing. Look at the start of the move leading up to Matondo's header. From here, with a number of patient passes and side-to-side play, Rangers could journey up the pitch and create an opening.
After Celtic's offside goal which proceeded this passage, Rangers lost confidence in their approach on and off the ball. The next goal-kick Celtic took after their offside goal saw Rangers drop back considerably as if they didn’t trust themselves to press high again. Control was therefore automatically handed to the hosts even before they scored an opener.
“The momentum shifts with the 1-0 and for sure with the 2-0. Then Celtic only need to keep the ball and wait for the moment you step out to use the space. That creates a lot," Clement suggested afterwards.
If Clement’s side managed to score one of their early openings the momentum would’ve shifted in their favour. As it materialised their ambitious approach too often left them 'in between' pressing high and sitting in a mid-block that was pulled apart by third-man passes and varying runs.
What went wrong at the first goal?
Celtic’s opener, catalysed by a rotation down the right flank and finished with a cutback at the back post, has been scored so often in this fixture. Again, much like under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Rangers appear more vulnerable to the unpredictability of these movements when they’re marking man-for-man, rather than zonally.
The type of interchanging seen below to free up Johnson's cross is designed to confuse and conflict markers. The opposition team, if man for man, are always reacting because they’re naturally a step behind their opponents’ foreknowledge. Third-man passing combinations lull the opponent to move forward with the second pass in a move, before a third is played into the space vacated.
Initially, Rangers are set up at the throw with Jefte as the extra man.
But when the Brazilian is dragged in to confront ‘his man’, issues materialise. A third-man passing combination again exploits the smallest of margins with Matondo chasing Johnson instead of Jefte remaining in his left-back slot and defending face-on.
More errors were to come. Although from this angle you’d expect Robin Propper to block the front post rather than slip, James Tavernier doesn’t check his shoulder until it’s too late. John Souttar only focuses on Kyogo’s movement and Maeda’s staggered run allows an unopposed finish from close range.
Remember when Celtic defeated Rangers 4-0 this time two years ago to also go five points clear heading into the first international break? Their opener then was almost a copy-and-paste job from the opposite side of the pitch. Fast rotations at a throw-in to dismark players in a man-for-man system and a cutback to the back post, converted by a wide forward moving off the full-back.
Kyogo’s strike and Butland's error
One of the other problems associated with Rangers’ off-ball approach was the role of Kyogo. Under Ange Postecoglou the Japanese forward would always stay in the top line but now it’s common to see him drop deeper and create overloads. Although Propper is happy jumping up and following attackers in these situations the Dutch defender isn’t blessed with pace. Clement’s decision to play his centre-backs high and wide was bold given the contrast in pace to Celtic’s attack.
What’s more, as already covered, after the home side’s opener Rangers were unable to get up the pitch. On 37 minutes the xG read 1.13 to 0.25. Lacking the patience and poise in possession shown to create Matondo’s early chance and given Cyriel Dessers' limitations as a hold-up player, it was an error in the build-up which led to Kyogo’s free shot from distance.
Again, we see the high-risk high-reward nature of Rangers’ strategy on the ball in this scenario. Unable to reward themselves when they did bypass Celtic’s press early on, the home side were ruthless with their own upside following a high regain.
Connor Barron’s initial pass was a little short and with Vaclav Cerny on his heels, Greg Taylor darted in to intercept.
From here, Barron continued to run forward but his defence did not. Leaving a huge gap open in front of the back four again that Kyogo could exploit.
The Rangers full-backs weren't 'out of position' - they were deliberately high to create the space Propper, Barron and Souttar needed to build play. However, there was an inherent risk if the ball turned over that space down the sides could be exploited. Especially when the No.6, Barron, moved forward to try and regain possession.
Although not directly, the positioning of Nicolas Kuhn prevented Propper from being able to confront Kyogo before he unleashed a shot.
For all the errors this isn’t a moment Jack Butland will want to remember. Speaking about the goal after he understandably highlighted the fact that his side shouldn’t have conceded the ball in such an area.
He said: "I think I'm in a position which is suitable for where we were at in the game, being in possession of the ball. In giving the ball away, I'm trying to get back to my optimal position where I want to be in that moment. And perhaps a little bit I didn't quite get back to where I wanted to get to, ideally."
Here's where Butland had moved seconds before to support his team in build-up on the right.
Even still, the post-shot xG of the chance came in at 0.26. Meaning that based on the quality of the effort, Kyogo's shot had a 26 percent chance of finding the net. Butland was not the only culprit but this was a costly error.
Rangers set the tone at Parkhead for 10 minutes. They were proactive, forcing Celtic backwards and building play comfortably. From that juncture, however, the spent 90 minutes reacting to rotations and runs, caught between pressing forward and sitting deep in a shape that was man-orientated, rather than zonal and compact.
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