Rangers have struggled consistently all season against teams that sit in with Dundee Utd the lastest side to make it look easy playing against Philippe Clement’s tactics.
The manager is lucky to still be in a job, eight points behind Celtic would be bad enough, but the Ibrox outfit have that gap to second place in the table.
The Europa League league phase has been a place of some solace for Rangers though, but Nice might have thrown a spanner into the works for Clement’s preparations.
Nice boss shows Philippe Clement how to change Rangers plan
Franck Haise’s preferred formation usually has three central defenders although the win against Strasbourg saw a shift to a back four.
What Rangers’ analysis team will have noted, is that there was no difference in approach from Nice with a gung-ho opening suggesting that there will be space for Clement to exploit with the right team selection.
Formations only have so much of an impact on games, it is philosophy, intent and work rate from the players selected that can make a real difference.
Shape and system had nothing to do with Cyriel Dessers only having eight touches or Jefte leaving his man free to score against Dundee Utd.
Stubborn Clement refuses to budge on Rangers approach
Haise took the sort of step that Clement has already discussed as being out of the question, despite the current set-up clearly not working domestically:
“Changing a formation in this moment, I think it will only create more doubts. Also, how are you going to change the formation if you can train on that one time?” Questioned Clement.
“How you’re going to train on that in how you build, how you create chances, how you defend. Everything in a session of one hour. So those are also the things you can build on things.
“If you have some foundations, if you have something solid, you can build on the next step. We’re not that far yet with the group to do that in this moment. So, it’s a difficult one to turn that around in one day with one training.”
Haise managed it with Nice, so why can’t Clement with Rangers?
