Despite the highs of a positive Old Firm record and run in Europe, there is validity to the claim that the season past was the worst produced by Rangers in some time.
Indeed, finishing with 77 points in 2023/24 was the lowest total attained since 2017/18 when the club managed just 70 points (not including the discontinued 2019/20 Covid campaign).
While the team’s ‘ceiling’ was far higher than during the 2017/18 campaign (a squad that surely could not win away repeatedly in Europe or defeat Celtic) it is also accurate to suggest the relative ‘floor’ of their baseline performance was at its lowest ebb since Steven Gerrard arrived in Glasgow during the summer of 2018.
A lot of those issues were tactical. Multiple sources expressed concerns that Philippe Clement’s lack of true overarching style of play led to the development of a team that couldn’t control matches in possession. It is notable, casting an eye back on the previous campaign, that the most memorable days (Fenherbahce away, Nice away, Celtic at Ibrox in January and Parkhead a couple of months later) came in matches where Rangers didn’t dominate the ball and - crucially - space was availible to make attacking descisions.
That’s the issue with the Rangers team of 2024/25 - put them in a different colour shirt and you wouldn’t be able to identify this squad by any patterns or particular on-ball plans. They were a mesh of spontaneity, reliant on individualism to score.
Beyond breaking down low blocks, Rangers’ biggest issue has been an inability to control football matches.
In appointing Russell Martin, a coach whose entire philosophy centres around controlling territory and controlling the ball, the overarching football idea could not be more different from last season.
No coach has influenced modern football’s hegemonisation tactically like Pep Guardiola. His view? “The best way to defend is by having the ball.”
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Martin is one of many managers who reference Guardiola often and has been known to place a quote of the Spaniard in his office at each three previous clubs.
And beyond being one of many coaches who would perhaps brand themselves a partial 'disciple' of Pep's ideas, it's only natural that a manager who has changed modern football favours methods that will be adopted elsewhere.
From Mikel Arteta to Xabi Alonso, control is the modern footballing buzzword as a push to mitigate marginal gains for the opposition takes precedence.
And that, in short, is what Rangers have lacked - the ability to control matches with the ball. To play a match on their own terms.
While it is easy to suggest that Rangers must go back to something that has worked in the past to usurp their rivals, and emphasise the need for physicality in order to progress, the teams that’ve won the division in the past four out of five seasons have hardly been defined by their size. Running power? Yes. Intensity? Sure. But Celtic’s front six under Ange Postecoglou and Rodgers have not achieved consistency because of their ability to match opponents in the Scottish Premiership's physicality - most simply, they’ve been the most comfortable team in possession of a football and benefited as a result.
There remains a blood and thunder element to some away days in Scottish football, even if more clubs are modernising. As Tony Bloom buys a stake in Hearts, Motherwell look abroad to take their football forward, St Johnstone attempted to stay in the league by playing out from the back and Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen side are also developing a strategy and game model. Things are progressing.
Comparison of underlying numbers - that which new American influence should abide by and be driven towards - again shows Rangers trailing behind their rivals in most key metrics.
Why are these underlying numbers important? Because it takes the emotion out of things and looks long-term. Of course, Rangers should be about winning but over the past four seasons, that core belief hasn’t got them very far. Only truly analysing the problem can provide a path to a solution.
Comparing Rangers' numbers to Celtic's last season shows that there is plenty of work for Martin and co to do.
What does this image tell us?
- Celtic creates a higher quality and quantity of chances (xG, xG conceded and xG/Shot)
- Celtic spend more time in the opposition final third (deep completions and passes in the box) and see the opposition spend less time in theirs
- Celtic press more aggressively (PPDA depicts the number of passes allowed before a defensive action is attempted on average) and play A LOT more passes with a higher accuracy.
What has been attempted throughout the 2024/25 season has not worked at Ibrox. An attritional, play-forward-fast style under Clement only had effect in Europe when teams came out to play. Domestically, as time wore on, there appeared little behind a game plan that was too direct for its own good.
And did Barry Ferguson move the dial? Not particularly. The underlying numbers looked better in his final three games, but until then, a ‘flexible’ approach didn’t solve this team’s issue of on-ball identity.
What Rangers require is an excellent level of coaching to provide them with a true identity. A structure in which relationships can form, roles that enable individual development and not the learning of new responsibilities every week. Some sort of control they can rely upon.
This group don’t need to be told what to do, but shown what to do, provided tools on the training pitch to solve issues on a matchday. The underlying numbers show that much clearly.
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