Strange Michael Beale tactical decision justified as defensive duo delivers Rangers masterclass v St Mirren
Rangers ended their Scottish Premiership campaign in style with a rampant 3-0 win over St Mirren on Saturday [27 May] and Michael Beale pulled a rabbit out of the hat with a surprise tactical decision.
Fashion Sakala scored a terrific double at St Mirren Park to ensure Beale and his side ended their rather disappointing and trophyless campaign on a high.
The result meant Rangers finished on 92 points after 37 games – a tally which would have been enough to win the Premiership five times in the last 10 years.
With Rangers expected to undergo a major squad rebuild this summer, it would have been a last-chance saloon for Beale to run the rule over his squad ahead of the Gers’ biggest summer transfer window in a long while.
The whole Ibrox setup may look entirely different when the campaign kicks off again in August. Still, this was a chance for the Rangers players to show Beale what they can do. A few showed up well, while questions could still surround plenty of the squad.
While all the praise after the game will have been centred around Sakala after his “magic” individual performance at St Mirren Park, some fans would have been forgiven for turning their attentions instead to two players who once again showed Beale that they still have a part to play at Ibrox next season.
Before the game kicked off, Beale offered up a strange defensive setup for the match, lining up John Lundstram at centre-back alongside John Souttar, with Leon King who started the two games prior, left on the bench.
St Mirren have enjoyed a rather impressive season in the Scottish Premiership, finishing as high as sixth place and will have certainly caused a threat to the Rangers back-line.
However, Beale’s strange tactical decision proved justified with both Lundstram and Souttar delivering a defensive masterclass.
The former QPR boss admitted previously, that he’ll be looking to improve his options at the heart of the defence during the summer transfer window which will have been welcome news for the Gers faithful, however, Beale showcased he possesses another string to his tactical bow.
As per SofaScore, both Lundstram (7.5.10) and Souttar (7.8/10) proved the two of the best performers on the pitch in a dominant showing at St Mirren Park.
Souttar, who hasn’t been far from criticism throughout the campaign, highlighted why he may form a vital part of Beale’s plans next season, winning 100% of his ground duels, five of his eight aerial duels, successfully completing 13 of his 19 long balls, 87% of his passes, 100% of his dribbles all while providing two key passes [SofaScore].
Lundstram has formed a key part of Beale’s midfield since his appointment in November, and there may have been a lot of clamour regarding his strange positioning on Saturday but proved his unexpected versatility with a defensive masterclass alongside Souttar.
The box-to-box midfielder won 75% of his ground duels at centre-back, successfully completing a whopping 97% of his passes from defence, with 15 accurate long-balls out of 17 and was dribbled past zero times throughout his 90 minutes on the field.
Certainly, the Rangers backline could look a whole lot different come the first game of the 2023/24 campaign, however, should the Gers fail to secure their targets in the summer or suffer from an injury crisis, Beale proved against St Mirren that he is tactically adept and highly adaptable despite possessing limited options, standing him in good stead to fully challenge Old Firm rivals Celtic next season.
In other Rangers news, the club wants to sign this international striker who will cost millions, with two other signings close, according to this report.