Rangers’ pre-season win over St Etienne on Wednesday night showed some of the traits the club’s hierarchy have worked hard to improve over the summer, while also illuminating gaps that still require filling.
As ever, fixtures of this nature can’t tell us all that much about how a team will perform in the upcoming campaign, but they can offer insight into what they may try to do. With only a week to go until the start of the season, though, it would be remiss not to draw some conclusions.
After a first half controlled by the French side, Derek McInnes’ team had the better of the second. A change at the break, effectively shifting to a box midfield with four central midfielders and a No.9 stretching the game, provided more control in possession and a stronger foothold. Two penalties ensured McInnes’ start at Ibrox, albeit in a friendly, was a positive one.
Ivor Pandur looked sharp and confident despite only training with his new team-mates for the first time on Monday. The Croatian No.1 was quick off his line and produced an excellent first-half stop to prevent a certain goal.
Thelo Aasgaard, a player the club hope can realise his potential in Glasgow during a second season, was bright off the bench and converted a penalty. Cammy Devlin was his typically snappy self, injecting energy out of possession, while Lawrence Shankland, on the scoresheet after just four minutes, linked play well.
The lack of control in the first half, and the frequency with which St Etienne ran in behind the defensive line, was a concern, as was the absence of poise in possession at key moments. In McInnes’ defence, those issues were addressed at half-time.
Most notably, it remains clear that game-changing quality, width, pace and, a long-standing issue, chance creation still need to be added in some form during this summer window.
Only one attacking signing so far points to a deliberate effort to strengthen the spine, reshape the leadership group and add steel to a side that badly lacked it last season. And nobody would've said that wasn't a requirement a couple of months ago. Last summer, we saw the reality of trying to make additions without the required quality and core throughout the team.
As Andrew Cavenagh explained earlier in the summer: "Our focus [in building the squad] will be less about raw talent and more about things like chemistry and leadership, steel, and footballing IQ."
Devlin’s cameo was a good advert for that approach, and Rangers hope Vanja Dragojevic will provide a presence alongside Dan Neil in midfield. Having worked on a deal for the Serbian since December, there was clear relief in securing a priority target this week. Sources haven't ruled out a move for Jens Hjerto-Dahl, although valuations over the player would need to align.
After losing Mikey Moore and following the failed Andreas Skov Olsen experiment, Rangers approached this summer knowing the wide areas were imperative to fix, regardless of the manager. The fact that last summer’s arrivals, Djeidi Gassama and Oliver Antman, did not feature may partly reflect the narrow midfield set-up, but it was hardly a ringing endorsement.
This is a long-standing issue at Ibrox: the inability to find a wide player who delivers consistent output, alongside a shortage of natural creative profiles, a problem exacerbated by James Tavernier’s decline over the past two seasons.
There are, arguably, enough goals in the front line as it stands, with Youssef Chermiti, Bojan Miovski, Ryan Naderi and Shankland. While it is conceivable that Gassama, Findlay Curtis and Aasgaard could compete for the left-sided role, there is no obvious solution on the right. As reported this week, Rangers remain one of several clubs interested in Brighton winger Amario Cozier-Duberry, although the 21-year-old is not short of options if made available for loan.
What McInnes has done in pre-season, as previously outlined, is utilise a lopsided shape to compensate for the lack of natural width. That was evident in the first half on Wednesday, with Mohamed Diomande often stepping inside to operate as an additional midfielder in advanced areas. However, Ross McCrorie is unlikely to provide a reliable attacking outlet in the same way as Tuur Rommens.
This mirrors a pattern from McInnes’ time at Hearts. Without suitable options on the right, he frequently deployed a centre-back at full-back or used Alexander Kyziridis on that flank, rather than in his preferred left-sided role.
While tactical approach will be flexible, and the narrower second-half shape showed that, the half-time adjustment was also born out of necessity. Ideally, McInnes would be able to tilt his side to the right and use a natural winger to provide width rather than relying on McCrorie. The base will be two strikers, two wingers where possible and flexibility from either full-back.
Read more:
- Cammy Devlin explains story of Rangers move: McInnes texts, summer stress, late offer
- Inside Dragojevic deal: Studying Rangers matches, captain profile and midfield role
Rangers will likely continue to use an extra midfielder drifting central at times to support their two strikers and maintain central solidity. But, as McInnes admitted post-match, the squad remains short of quality in wide areas, players capable of quickening the tempo, isolating defenders and breaking down compact blocks. Perhaps Aasgaard can become part of that solution. McInnes' appraisal of the midfielder in midweek certainly left that door open.
Although the season is fast approaching, the transfer window still has around six weeks to run. The World Cup has slowed movement further down the chain, with some English clubs only returning to pre-season last week.
With six of the seven additions so far focused on strengthening the foundations, attention must now turn to adding quality and clarity in the final third. The base has been built - now it's time to add some sparks.
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