WITH the very realistic prospect of a talent drain at Ibrox this summer, the recruitment team at Rangers must be very meticulous in those selected to fill the void.
The net will be cast wide in search of new recruits, but there is a potential superstar in-house at Auchenhowie in 18-year-old Alex Lowry.
The Rangers Review analyses the midfielder’s skillset, and why his game is scaleable to first team level.
Risk taking
In terms of his passing ability, Lowry is very much cut from the high risk, high reward cloth.
The teenager is adept at attempting, and executing, line breaking passes to change the dynamic of attacks and move his side into dangerous areas.
His recent pass map from Scotland U19s 3-0 defeat to Hungary shows his willingness to punch passes into the final third both centrally and towards the flanks.
Indeed, one of the principal upsides to Lowry’s game – and which could determine his future midfield role – is his ability to play the diagonal switch.
Not only is he able to identify when the opportunity arises, but he has displayed tremendous consistency in executing the pass.
As he drops deeper in midfield to collect the ball in the example below, he lifts his head.
With the central areas congested, he assesses his options…
…before floating a perfectly weighted diagonal pass out to the advanced right full-back.
The 18-year-old’s ability to change the emphasis of attack is key in situations such as below, where his side are outnumbered building down on one side of the pitch and are looking to change the direction of the move.
As he receives off the central defence, he immediately looks for the switch out to the right full back.
The execution of the pass then allows his side to attack down an underloaded right hand side.
In that respect, Lowry is most similar to Ianis Hagi in the Rangers first team, with the Romanian’s two-footedness allowing him to drop into pockets of space and spread play for the Gers.
Lowry is equally capable of progressing the ball over long distances with either foot.
His eagerness to progress the ball over large distances can often lead to a high volume of turnovers. Indeed, in the small sample of Lowry’s matches across various levels offered on Wyscout, the youngster is averaging 15 ball losses per 90 minutes.
In a Steven Gerrard team, which prided itself on control with possession, Lowry would perhaps look handcuffed. However, under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, where there is a greater emphasis on individualism, Lowry’s qualities seem compatible.
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Balletic dribbling
Where Lowry has caught the eye in his first team appearances, however, is his composure when weaving through traffic.
As he receives the ball in the left full-back area in the example below, he is fearless in his desire to drive forward.
Pinned to the touchline, Lowry uses a series of body feints to manoeuvre his way through pressure.
He has also mastered the art of the ‘ball roll’ to beat defenders.
Here, he is outnumbered 2v1 by the corner.
Where many players would look for the backwards pass back down the line to recycle possession, Lowry identifies the gap between the defenders.
His high level technical ability allows him to roll the ball through the defender’s legs before winning a corner for Rangers.
He was able to execute a similar move on his first Rangers start against Livingston in January.
As he drives into the final third, he is confronted by Livi midfielder Stephane Omeonga.
Stalling his momentum, he drews Omeonga towards him by putting his foot on the ball…
…Before he quickly shifts the ball into space to get goal-side of the midfielder.
The space it creates helps Lowry weave his way through traffic before delivering a wicked cross across the face of goal.
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Scaleable decision making
One of the most interesting aspects of Lowry’s game is his final ball, which can often frustrate at youth level and yet equally appear among his most scaleable traits heading into first team football with Rangers.
In the example below, he receives the ball on edge of the penalty area.
With limited space, Cedric Itten elects against making a run, under the assumption that Lowry’s only option is to take a shot at goal.
However, Lowry has the presence of mind to feed a reverse pass through the Annan defence…
…But Itten is not on the same wavelength.
Playing in a settled side with superior forwards, Lowry’s ability to execute high risk, high reward passes could raise the creative output of the team.
The scaleability of his attributes makes Lowry such an exciting prospect for Rangers in the short-term.
The club could be facing a midfield exodus this summer and it would be remiss to allow the 18-year-old to ply his trade elsewhere considering the opportunity which is about to open up.
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