Around this time last year, a debate was ongoing inside Ibrox: did Rangers require a philosophy manager or one moulded in the Red Bull school of football?
This season, having initially opted for the former, they have appointed one of each. The Russell Martin era was a disaster, and Danny Rohl has done a fantastic job of finding a route back into the title race. But the concerns and circumstances that led to the Martin appointment - namely that Rangers lacked a clear identity with the ball, and that Celtic had won repeated titles abiding by that core principle - have not been dispelled.
Rohl, while not flawless and lately guilty of picking teams that too often require radical changes at half-time, has built firm foundations from a rocky start. Rangers managers are never far from external pressure, but underlying numbers still argue that, if this season were to last a little longer, his team would surely win the league. There is strong evidence of this group growing and maturing since his arrival in October.
Sunday’s defeat against Motherwell, however, was a painful reminder of one issue that has not shown signs of going away. As a team that will have a higher share of possession by default, more discernible build-up patterns and a clearer on-ball identity are required. Otherwise, control will always prove fleeting.
Why the Motherwell defeat opened an old wound
Sunday was the first time Motherwell have beaten Rangers in four attempts this season, but in both previous 1-1 draws at Fir Park, they were unfortunate not to take all three points. Jens Berthel Askou’s side are a better pure footballing team than Rohl’s. Time and again in the first half of their 3-2 victory, they found solutions to play out under pressure and were rarely forced long, while stopping Rohl’s side from building possession as they had hoped.
In the 6-3 win against Falkirk, when Rangers trailed 2-0 within 25 minutes, both concessions derived from Rohl’s team either playing direct and losing control, for the opener, or trying to play out and failing to, for the second. Over the years in Old Firm games, under different managers, this root issue has often resurfaced. Especially during the first half of matches, this is why they can struggle to gain a real foothold in games.
When Rangers are in positions like the one below, they struggle to go through the middle of teams. At the weekend, they did not really attempt to. Tochi Chukwuani is pointing wide in this scenario.
There are no rules against this. Indeed, in the above example, a dangerous three-vs-three moment originated from sucking in the Motherwell press and playing over the top.
However, if you are reliant on always going direct, control can never really be established. It is hard to create high‑quality chances if you cannot control the centre of the pitch.
And when a team is not incentivised to press, there is nowhere to go, no space to play into. As Paul McGinn explained on Monday, discussing the match: “If you take the lead at Ibrox, then you know what the fans are like, you need to try and get the ball back. The fans don’t realise, but they’re almost playing into our hands because they’re desperate for their players to break the shape and come out to get it back off us.”
This is not a new problem. Philippe Clement’s Rangers were so effective in Europe because of a strong identity out of possession. While less of a tactician who could impact games like Rohl, the Belgian’s team looked at their best when reacting and playing into space on Thursday nights. But ask them to play through a press in dangerous central areas and they would struggle. Steven Gerrard’s team were more discernible for what they did without the ball than with it, too.
Rangers’ long-standing need for a No.6
Rangers actively pursued the addition of a No.6 in the January window, but after securing the signature of Tochi Chukwuani - a signing who adapted slightly quicker than expected and was seen as a succession‑planning move, with Nico Raskin and Mo Diomande entering the final two years of their deals this summer - Rohl was content with four midfielders. Connor Barron has been back from injury for around a month.
The Rangers Review understands that a more bespoke, ball‑playing option is under consideration ahead of the summer window, especially because at least one of Raskin and Diomande is expected to depart over the summer months.
Elliot Watt’s outstanding performance at the base of Motherwell’s midfield also piqued the interest of many fans. While responsible for a handful of line‑breaking passes, most notably before the second goal of the game (as seen below), it was Watt’s football IQ that stood out. His movement constantly helped break Rangers’ press and take the sting out of the game. He was in control, setting the tempo. Moving the Rangers block and pushing for gaps.
Watt, 25, is attracting plenty of interest ahead of the summer and is understood to be a player on the Ibrox club’s radar. It remains to be seen if that interest will solidify into a summer pursuit over the coming weeks.
There is also a decision to be made in goals. Jack Butland’s −1.84 Goals Saved Above Average is the worst in the league. GSAA is defined as: “How many goals did the keeper save or concede versus expectation (post‑shot xG faced)? This is representative of how many goals the goalkeeper’s saves prevented within a season.”
Without giving Rangers much in possession, Butland needs to be an above‑average shot‑stopper to justify his place. But he is on track to be in the red, instead of the green, for the second of three seasons. Callum Ward’s passing routinely calmed Motherwell at the weekend and, although Butland made a couple of accurate long passes early on, he is not a safety valve with the ball at his feet.
Butland went long 17 times and found a teammate on just three occasions, with an overall pass completion of 64 percent from 39 passes. Ward went long 28 times from 58 passes but found a teammate with every second pass. Overall, his 75 percent pass accuracy was far healthier.
Until Rangers have a No.6 who will take the ball anywhere and set the tempo in possession, and a goalkeeper who can play short and invite pressure, their ability to truly control games with the ball will remain elusive.
Rangers can still struggle to impose their style
There is no right way to play football. Rohl was keen to point out after the weekend that Rangers dominated big chances and, indeed, based on xG, he was vindicated. Rangers’ 2.54 to Motherwell’s 0.59 xG shows that, in the cold light of day, it was the hosts who created the superior chances.
That does not tell the whole story, nor capture the chances that did not result in shots or the sheer dominance Motherwell enjoyed before half-time.
As seen in the 2-2 draw against Celtic, Rohl’s team can struggle to impose their game on opponents when the tempo drops; in‑game adaptability remains a concern, too. Much like in the second half of the league meeting with Celtic, some on‑pitch leadership was required before the break on Sunday to adapt a plan that was not working.
Rohl admitted his side have been unable to maintain their level for 90 minutes so far. A maturing side, that is not a surprise. In a title race, though, there is little room for error. A physical team, Rangers lacked two key actors in their 4‑2‑2‑2 in Tuur Rommens and Naderi to impose their style and win the tactical game of cat and mouse. They had to react to Motherwell before the break, not the other way around.
Surely now Rangers will head to Tynecastle and Parkhead in the more reactive 4-3-3 seen after the break here and in the New Year Old Firm. Diomande drastically improved their use of the ball from the bench this weekend and more than merits a return to the team. The likes of Gassama and Miovski should be used to impact games, not set the tone.
Motherwell endured a sticky start to the season, and the Martin experiment was a reminder of the frailties of slow build‑up at Ibrox. Could Watt put his studs on the ball to provoke a press if wearing blue instead of amber?
Football is easy to dissect in hindsight. Had Rohl’s team scored in extra time instead of Motherwell this past weekend, subsequent days would have been spent discussing team spirit and dissecting the German’s tactical nous in solving problems during games. Had Butland bailed his team out, the mountain in the second half would not have proved so steep.
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Every system has its positives and negatives. The direct, vertical, physical football Rohl played in the dominant 4-2 win over Hearts should also have resulted in a big win over Celtic soon after. But when the tide turned in that game, Butland’s kicking, a lack of control in possession and a tiring press caught up.
There remains a balance to be struck, a problem to solve. Rangers still require more identity with the ball: more clarity and control in build‑up. Profiles who can bring that must arrive this summer.
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