In the early stages of this 2023/24 season, Rangers find themselves amidst another rebuilding project. It is something that the Glasgow outfit has become accustomed to since their exile to Scotlands fourth tier in 2012 following financial circumstances off the pitch.
Rangers did claw themselves back to the top of the Scottish football pyramid and were crowned champions of the Scottish Premiership in 2021, following an undefeated campaign. Despite then-manager, Steven Gerrard opting to take the Aston Villa hot seat, Rangers progressed to the Europa League final the following season, under the guidance of Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
However, in November 2022, van Bronckhorst was dismissed, with Rangers trailing their Parkhead rivals by nine points in the league. His replacement, Michael Beale, who had assisted in Gerrards tenure at Ibrox, was swiftly brought in. However, the Gers are currently looking for a new manager following the announcement of Beales sacking, who lasted less than a year in the post.
In this tactical analysis, we will assess Rangers poor start to the season and where it has gone wrong for Beale at Ibrox. We will also provide an analysis of the tactics employed in this campaign to assess how Rangers can improve in order to mount a serious title challenge and get their season back on track.
Poor start to the season
Football can be a fickle business, and Beale will be acutely aware of this. Less than 12 months ago, Beale was regarded as one of English footballs up-and-coming, exciting young managers as his QPR side sat seventh in the EFL Championship following a bright start to the season. His impressive start to life in West London caught the attention of his former employers, and Beale returned to Ibrox, this time in the managerial seat.
Rumours had circulated that Beale was the brains behind Gerrards reign, but such assertions have now been dismissed, with many believing he was never the right man to replace van Bronckhorst. Any Rangers manager is likely to be judged on performances in Europe as well as against bitter rivals Celtic. Beale did not pass the test in either this campaign, crashing out of the Champions League to PSV – whom Rangers had beaten at the same stage last season. His record overall against Celtic was poor. He lost four of six matches against them, only winning one.
Although Rangers improved last season under Beale, performances have not met standards this season, losing three times in the league and finding themselves seven points adrift of Celtic.
The table shows that Beale had a comparable defensive record to van Bronckhorst last season and managed to improve the respective scoring and points-per-match rates. However, while Beale has overseen a stronger defence this season, their attacking credentials have declined.
The scatter plot shows that Rang
