A PROBLEM position for a number of years given Steven Gerrard’s disinclination towards wide wingers, Rangers’ pursuit of a right midfielder this summer will define their transfer business.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst made no secret of his desire to re-introduce the concept of wingers upon his appointment last season, with Amad Diallo secured on loan from Manchester United in January.
However, amid issues over the consistency of van Bronckhorst’s options on the right-hand side, the Dutchman was forced to compromise by re-unlocking the attacking potential of James Tavernier on the flank. It was a move that proved too late to salvage Rangers’ title defence.
Enter Tyrhys Dolan, a 20-year-old winger from Blackburn Rovers who has recently been linked with a move to Ibrox.
The links are far from firm, but we thought we'd take a look at what the youngster might have to offer.
The Englishman is a versatile attacker, predominantly deployed on the right-hand side of Blackburn’s attack yet capable of operating across the forward line.
Dolan came through the ranks at Manchester City as a youngster before he joined Preston North End in 2017. After joining Clitheroe on loan in February 2020, Dolan was snapped up by Blackburn Rovers in the summer. He made his debut for the Lancashire club in August 2020 in a 3-2 EFL Cup victory over Doncaster Rovers.
Standing at barely 5ft5 tall, the most striking aspect of Dolan’s play style is his low centre of gravity. Without the ball, Blackburn have often benefitted from his ability to cover ground quickly in pressing situations.
As the ball trickles back to the opponent’s defence in the example below, Dolan immediately blocks off the pass across the backline.
He then continues to hassle the central defender as he attempts to dribble out with the ball, using his speed to nip the ball away…
…Before squaring the ball across goal to a teammate for a tap-in.
Dolan is impressively quick over the first step, showing great acceleration to grant him the upper hand in different situations on the pitch.
Then-Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray underlined the 20-year-old’s energy after he impressed in the opening weeks of last season, saying: “He’s like a fizzy bottle of pop, he explodes every time he gets on the pitch. He has intensity, he has urgency, he plays on the front foot and he’s positive.”
It is qualities which have perhaps flown under the radar in a Blackburn side that don’t tend to approach games in a markedly proactive manner.
Rovers recorded the sixth-lowest possession share in the English Championship last season, while they owned the sixth-highest PPDA – passer per defensive action – in the division, which suggests that they are comfortable without the ball and look to hit teams on the break. Similarly, Dolan’s side ranked third in the league in one-vs-ones and dribbling actions last term.
As a pacey wide man, one could suspect that Dolan is currently in the perfect environment at Blackburn. However, the 20-year-old found himself increasingly out of the starting lineup towards the end of last season as Mowbray transitioned towards a 3-4-1-2 system with wing-backs providing width.
Playing predominantly in a transition-orientated side, Dolan often struggled to provide the incision required to exploit space following turnovers. In fact, the 20-year-old ended last season averaging just 1.67 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, with his key passing figures – the pass prior to an attempt at goal – also leaving a lot to be desired (0.32 per 90 minutes).
In a moment in the second half, Blackburn’s 2-0 win over Reading last season exhibited both the good and bad aspects of the 20-year-old’s game as he struggled to convert a promising moment into a clear-cut chance.
Dolan is quick to latch onto a loose pass in the attacking third for Blackburn, using his speed and agility to evade the sliding challenge.
It sets up a golden cut-back opportunity for the 20-year-old with two Blackburn attackers inside the penalty area.
However, he delays the pass, ignoring the obvious pull-back option at the front post, before his eventual cross evades everyone in the penalty box.
Dolan is also a player who, despite possessing impressive acceleration, prefers to drop in front of defences rather than constantly seeking to run in behind. He is a winger who enjoys the sensation of the ball at his feet, always looking to combine quickly with teammates using sharp passes.
The 20-year-old’s pass map from a series of matches last season indicate his preference to play shorter passes, often backwards or laterally, in the attacking midfield space.
In the example below, Dolan is tucked inside with Blackburn’s width provided by an overlapping left-back.
Where most wingers would choose to make a dart into the space as the full-back receives a clipped pass, Dolan elects to hold his position to provide a short passing option.
As he receives possession, he carries the ball inside towards the penalty area before looking to combine with a teammate.
In that respect, Dolan has untapped potential playing in a side who don’t look to build sustained periods of possession within games. The polar opposite is true of Rangers in a domestic context, where there is a greater reliance on players who can operate proficiently in tight spaces.
However, attackers are required to show multiple faces in this Rangers side, with Dolan yet to convince that he has the sufficient consistency to provide the X-factor in attacking situations. The 20-year-old registered only eight goal contributions in over 1,900 minutes for Blackburn last season, laying on just three assists throughout the league campaign.
READ MORE: Rangers direct philosophy and why passing more can help reclaim the league title
Van Bronckhorst’s preferred system is predicated on the dynamism of the wingers in 1v1 scenarios, which is an area that Dolan doesn’t particularly excel within when playing on his stronger side.
When playing as an inverted winger, meanwhile, Dolan often looks to pull the trigger early when he cuts inside, which is reflected in the cluster of attempts towards the left-hand side outside of the penalty area.
In some cases, Dolan can produce the spectacular from range…
In other cases, however, there is a hint of tunnel vision at the expense of a better passing option.
Van Bronckhorst has already shown a reluctance to displace Ryan Kent on the left-hand side despite the former Liverpool man boasting an equal ability on both feet. The arrival of Dolan would add another right-footed option to a squad crying out for a lefty in attack.
In many ways, the addition of Dolan this summer would not represent a departure from a winger in Scott Wright’s mould which, although it has its merits in this Rangers squad, appears very unlikely to be a sustainable long-term option in the position.
Analysis suggests that the 20-year-old is not the calibre of signing who would move the needle ahead of this summer’s Champions League qualifiers. Dolan is a player with many promising attributes, but he is a signing that clubs tend to make when looking to sprinkle stardust on a strong calibre of previous additions.
Under contract until 2024 – with the option for a further year – Blackburn would demand a fee that would exceed Dolan’s worth probable worth to Rangers.
The Gers need to cast their net wider in search of a superstar right midfielder.
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