Ibrox View: Impressive Kamara distribution has been major asset for Rangers this season
Rangers are going to see a lot of the ball this season.
The way that Steven Gerrard sets up his side, plus their general dominance over most teams in Scotland, means that possession is rarely a scarce commodity for the Gers.
This season alone they have averaged just shy of 60% possession per 90 minutes, as per Wyscout.
But as rudimentary as it may sound, that time on the ball is not a given.
No side is deliberately setting out with the intention of allowing Rangers to walk all over them, and instead, that lofty figure is testament to the manner in which Gerrard’s men are able to dictate the tempo and direction of a match.
So far this season, you could argue that nobody has embodied those qualities as well as Glen Kamara.
The Finland international has become a key part of the Gers’ midfield alongside Ryan Jack, and his passing stats have bordered on the otherworldly since the Scottish Premiership started up again.
So far this season, Kamara has a pass completion rate of 94.2%.
In total, he has misplaced just 19 out of an attempted 330 passes this term.
As point of comparison, Jack’s success rate is an inferior 91.8%.
The pass map above is from Kamara’s outing against St. Johnstone last month.
In that game he made 117 successful passes at a success rate of 97%.
As you can see from the graphic, the density and consistency of the midfielder’s distribution was so high that you can barely see the centre of the park.
Kamara was everywhere, spraying balls left, right, and centre as he dominated the engine room.
But when we break down Kamara’s performance even further, we see how impressive it truly was.
Of his 10 attempted passes into the final third, the Finn found his man all 10 times.
Likewise, his pass completion rate into the penalty area was also 100%.
What that shows is that he isn’t just keeping possession for keeping possession’s sake.
The midfielder is also looking break the lines and thrust his team forward with smart, incisive forward passing.
Another incredible aspect of Kamara’s passing this season has been its range.
Four games into the campaign and he is still yet to misplace a long ball, as evidenced by the graph above.
Popping off five and 10 yard balls here and there is impressive enough, and in many ways is the meat and drink of any midfielder’s workload, but to be consistently hitting diagonals and balls in behind to switch the emphasis of attack and to stretch a defence, it shows that Kamara is a major asset to Steven Gerrard’s side.
If he can keep up this level of quiet brilliance, the 24-year-old will soon find himself as an irreplaceable member of his manager’s plans at Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, Leon Balogun has started life in Glasgow brilliantly.