Whatever Michael Beale is trying to do with Rangers and his new signings isn’t working but, maybe, Ronald Koeman has the answer.
The Netherlands might not exactly be flying in Group B with France clear at the top and Greece running the Dutch close.
Michael Beale needs to turn a corner for Rangers or he will lose his job and it may be that Ronald Koeman is the one to turn to.
Rangers can learn from Ronald Koeman tactical shift
Linked with the job himself, the former Barcelona legend has made a subtle shift to his Netherlands tactics and it’s a system that the Gers boss could turn to.
Formations are more fluid than they have ever been before but there is still a structure that teams adhere to especially in defence.
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Michael Beale has routinely favoured a 4-3-1-2 or 4-3-3 variation for Rangers but he is putting square pegs into round holes whereas Ronald Koeman’s 3-4-3 is designed to get the best out of certain players.
Xavi Simons and Cody Gakpo are key for the Netherlands, neither are natural strikers or wingers but getting them both in the team is essential.
On the right-hand side, Denzel Dumfries gives them the sort of attacking intent that James Tavernier also provides for Rangers.
Having protection behind him would allow the skipper to do what he does best without having to look over his shoulder.
It would also allow Todd Cantwell freedom in the final third and Ridvan Yilmaz to overlap and make runs behind opposition defences.
Going to three at the back doesn’t have to mean losing a midfielder or an attacker.
Tavernier and Ridvan might be defenders on paper but having the security of three centre-halves would get the best out of them.
Michael Beale also wouldn’t lose any passing ability from deep with Ben Davies and John Souttar both comfortable in possession.
With Connor Goldson playing centrally, there would be less space for teams to expose our perennial weakness of the gap between full-back and centre-half.
Either way, the manager has to do something, so why not try a system that could get the best out of our players?
A novel idea indeed.