Tactical Tribulations

If the truth be told, the early swashbuckling football played under Mark Warburton had been a distant memory for some time.

- Jordan Campbell

Games against Dundee and Celtic in the Scottish Cup would prove to be anomalies rather than the standard-bearer for performances from November 2015 onwards. The manager underestimated the defensive organisation and dogged nature of teams in Scotland, and his inability to adapt and find pragmatic solutions became apparent. I, like many, believed that with better players brought in during the summer he would be able to execute what is presumed to be his idealistic style - fluid interchanging and aggressive pressing.

The signings, however, were incompatible with this. Yes, he made slight tweaks to the usual framework of the 4-3-3, but it took him until December to finally make a significant shift away from the norm. Playing to Joe Garner’s strengths and getting more bodies closer to him saw the team go on a four match winning run in December. Likewise, Kenny Miller became even more influential when he took on some aspects of a false nine role. In reality though, it was only papering over the cracks. Like Arsenal,Rangers are atypical in their respective leagues in that they operate with a free-form set-up in possession, positioning more players ahead of the ball than most.