Rangers ‘change of direction’ spotted under Philippe Clement ahead of mooted issue ‘we all hate’ vs struggling Livingston
Rangers appear to have changed their style of play under Philippe Clement to include more long aerial balls, according to Alan Rough.
The pundit predicted on PLZ Soccer’s The Football Show on 10 November that the Light Blues would have no issues away to Livingston this week, with the difference he’d spotted in their build-up play likely to help them deal with the unpopular surface in West Lothian.
Host Peter Martin claimed “we all hate it” about the pitch at Livi and Rough agreed the result will hinge on how the Gers deal with it, but does expect them to do so.
Martin said (23m): “Livingston of course have got their work cut out against Rangers. There’s no point us talking about the pitch, we all hate it. David Martindale knows that Livingston are in that really difficult period where they are battling.”
Rough replied: “Yeah unfortunately they’ve wandered into that bottom part of the league and, as it is right now, I don’t think there’s any signs of them getting out of it. I don’t think playing Rangers is going to help them any…
“For me it’s all about Rangers going there and learning their lessons about playing on that surface. I saw the other night there seemed to be a change of direction, there were a lot of long balls.
“[James] Tavernier was firing long balls up, it was different for the build up, so they’ve obviously clocked, ‘We don’t have to keep passing it about all the time’, and I think that’s going to be the scene at Livingston where you can get caught out on that surface.
“So it will be interesting to see how Rangers take care of that game but I can’t see any problems at all.”
Banana skin?
With the improved form under Clement lifting spirits in a major way a game against the side languishing second bottom from the SPFL looks like a simple assignment on paper.
But the Belgian will have to guard against the sort of flat response in the league that plagued the side two seasons ago following big European nights.
The win over Sparta Prague on Thursday (9 November) was the latest sign that the managerial change can yet make something of this season, but a trip to play on the artificial pitch against Martindale’s men needs to be negotiated heading into the international break.
Clement has made clear that he doesn’t want his Rangers side passing the ball around laterally for little benefit, and the side has made significant improvements already under his direction.
He has more to lose than he does to gain from this fixture, with an expectation that he continues to win the games the Gers should deal with ahead of grander tests in the Viaplay Cup final and the December meeting with Celtic.
Rangers have to guard against any complacency, or difficulties with the playing surface, but on current form there should be confidence they can produce a professional performance and take the points.
In other Rangers news, Tom English waded in to a dispute online to slam “populist nonsense” over ongoing fallout.