Rangers' midfield 'open triangle 'and why it's causing problems in playing out from the back

Gerrard, after a year of experimentation, settled on a system where the three midfielders all but held hands with the centre-backs. This was still in action during his final game in charge – a home win over Ross County. Below we see the setup from the very first whistle, with the midfield three of Joe Aribo, John Lundstram and Juninho Bacuna sat right in front of the centre-backs. This made it easy for the centre-backs to find them. The midfielders were a short distance away and were not marked, so the risk of passing to them was minimal.

Compare that to Wednesday night’s victory over Hibernian. Van Bronckhorst has usually gone for a more traditional midfield three, an ‘open triangle’ of one holding and two attacking. On this occasion it was Lundstram sitting back with Glen Kamara and Aribo pushing on. Sometimes it’s a ‘closed triangle’ of two holders and one playing off Alfredo Morelos. Either way, the old 2-3 formation in build-up has been dispensed with.

The new-look midfield unit has had a knock-on effect on the centre-backs. Before, Connor Goldson and his partner would have three short options in front of them or to the sides. This trio were often available by default, as few defensive shapes allowed for straightforward matching up against this setup. Now, however, the midfielders are further away and easier to mark. They are no longer immediately accessible.

With that in mind, the concept of availability has become more important than ever before to this group of Rangers midfielders. Previously, the system made decisions for them. Now, Van Bronckhorst wants them to make decisions within the system, to find space and make angles for the centre-backs. Rangers’ title hopes hinge on a number of internal and external factors, but tactically this is something they need to adjust to, and quickly. Opponents are finding it easier to disrupt their short game at the moment, because they can match up against the midfielders more comfortably.

Below we see an example, against Livingston, where Calvin Bassey was forced into a long ball by the fact the midfield options were covered. Kamara is running away from the ball and facing goal, so he could not be less available. Alex Lowry is an interception waiting to happen, while Lundstram is an awkward sideways angle with opponents nearby capable of pressing him.

Van Bronckhorst has already discussed how “if we don’t find Kamara, we need other players to commit themselves”. He was referring to the centre-backs being braver running the ball forward or playing tighter passes into midfield when the lone holding midfielder is marked. There are two sides to that coin, though. One side relates to those playing the ball out (the centre-backs); the other relates to those receiving it (the midfielders). Yes, the centre-backs must be brave. But the midfielders also need to make sure they have viable options.

At this point, it’s worth adding a further layer of context to this discussion. Firstly, Allan McGregor needs perfect conditions for short build-up play. If the back-pass to him isn’t cleanly struck or there’s some pressure on it, he isn’t comfortable playing short. So if Goldson et al are closed down, they can’t always just recycle the ball via their goalkeeper and keep possession ticking. This reduces the time Rangers have to organise their build-up play, and forces the centre-backs into forward passes quicker when they come under pressure.

It’s also worth mentioning that Van Bronckhorst seems to want more direct play, on principle. Under Gerrard the attacking midfielders were moving between the lines and coming for the ball to feet; now they’re attacking space behind more and leaving Alfredo Morelos to perform most of the heavy lifting re: showing for the ball.

Nonetheless, there are times where Rangers need to keep the ball on the deck under pressure from their opponent. At these times, there has to be better connection between the centre-backs and midfielders. There are a few different ways the midfielders can help foster this connection on an individual basis.

One simple way is a change of pace. This could be a short burst to create separation from a marker, or a sudden deceleration to become available behind a screening opponent. Kamara uses accelerations to enter the space freed up when a striker presses one of Rangers’ centre-backs. This isn’t ideal, because he’s still moving towards the ball, just like opposing strikers tend to do, so the angle can be difficult. But at least he’s in space and un-marked.

Another option is to change direction. This could be a sharp double movement, the kind you often see performed by strikers (faking to go long before coming short, or vice-versa) to throw off their marker. Or it could be something subtler, like we see from Steven Davis away to Hibs below. Here, Davis receives under pressure and lays the ball off to Goldson. Staying on his toes, he shifts sideways then forwards and loses his marker in the process. With a quick change of direction, he becomes free to receive.

A third option is to temporarily vacate position and try to get out of the marker’s eye-line, then arrive back in position un-marked and free to receive. Below, James Sands gets on the blind side of Aberdeen’s midfielders, then arrives back in the holding midfielder position un-marked to receive out from Bassey.

At the moment, Rangers are heavily reliant on specific individual skills or team/tactical mechanisms to progress the ball through midfield. Individual skills include the strength under pressure of Morelos, or the control of Kamara and Aribo to hold onto the ball in tight areas. Team/tactical mechanisms include opposite movements (attacking midfielders go long, Morelos goes short, or vice-versa), and rotations (full-back pushes up, holding midfielder pulls wide, attacker withdraws central) to create a free man.

There are problems with relying on individuals to control a pass under pressure or hold off a marker, however. If their touch lets them down, their marker is instantly on hand to regain the ball and start a counter-attack. Likewise, there is an issue with relying on team/tactical mechanisms: namely that the opposition can find these patterns through video analysis, making them easier to plan for and nullify in a game.

Van Bronckhorst wants his centre-backs to be braver playing the ball out from the back. But if his style of football is to succeed, he also needs his midfielders to get better at making themselves available for the pass.