Tom Lawrence’s new Rangers role shows midfield is changing
Lawrence scored a vital winning goal as Rangers defeated Hibs on Sunday <i>(Image: Rob Casey – SNS Group)</i>
Lawrence scored a vital winning goal as Rangers defeated Hibs on Sunday (Image: Rob Casey – SNS Group)
When Todd Cantwell explained the reasoning behind his Rangers exit during an interview with Sky Sports, he cited tactics.
“I’ve got full respect for the manager but I didn’t believe it was the right place for me and they are personal reasons,” he said.
“You don’t have to look far behind tactics and the way a team plays and how you get the best version of yourself.”
It was a revealing comment that confirms what was obvious last season – there was tension between how Philippe Clement and Cantwell interpreted the No.10 position. By contrast, Rangers’ matchwinner on Sunday in a 1-0 win over Hibs, Tom Lawrence, is on the same page as his manager.
Cantwell wanted to move towards the ball, be free positionally and build play patiently, while Clement asked him to stay high up the pitch, operate in specific zones and help the team build directly. For a time at the start of the year, before the Englishman suffered an injury away at St Johnstone, there seemed a good meeting in the middle. Cantwell was taking more shots and remaining high up the pitch while also helping Rangers’ direct build-up play which lacked technicians to play through the pitch.
Read more:
Inside Nedim Bajrami’s Rangers transfer: Why a loan became buy and No.10 summer plan
Everything Clement said after Hibs win – Lawrence, Butland and enacting Souttar
The improvements the Ibrox side are making in possession, specifically their build-up, means that Cantwell would’ve likely felt more at home in this version of Clement’s football than last. Two centre-backs who can invite pressure are shelling the ball long less frequently, Connor Barron is a better operator at the base of midfield than John Lundstram and the dynamics on each wing are more varied. Rangers have more variation in their play, so are less reliant on the No.10 staying high to win second balls and attack into space.
The structure of the midfield appears to be changing as a knock-on effect. The fact that Jefte can offer far more in possession than Borna Barisic is allowing the left-winger to operate closer to the No.9. As a consequence, Clement’s midfield in possession is often more resemblant of a 4-3-3 than 4-2-3-1.
(Image: StatsBomb)
The most advanced midfielder, often Lawrence, is dropping more frequently to help build play and create a midfield overload. This time last season, centre-backs would too often go over the midfield while the No.10 remained high in such scenarios.
(Image: StatsBomb)
(Image: StatsBomb)
Lawrence, 31, is not a long-term answer. And there’s enough evidence to suggest he doesn’t suit certain matches. Much like Cyriel Dessers, who can struggle in games when isolated, the attacking midfielder has been used too frequently and often overrun in Old Firm matches. The plan inside Ibrox from the start of this summer was always to sign a No.10, and Nedim Bajrami arrived on deadline day to address that requirement. Although, with Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo both injured the Albanian has spent more time playing from the left since moving from Sassuolo. Bajrami, like Lawrence, is a direct No.10 who wants to attack quickly, take shots from range and aligns with the football Clement wants to play.
The Welshman is fulfilling the No.10 spot at present. On Sunday against Hibs, he scored his second decisive goal in a fortnight following a recent winner against Dundee United.
“[Tom] made a massive step forward. I want a No.10 to be decisive with assists, with goals and he’s been doing that in the pre-season, also in the last couple of weeks,” Clement said post-match.
“It’s something we missed last season, the goals had to come from our striker or our wingers or our right full-back but not enough from the No.10 position. So it’s really important what he’s been doing there and it’s also the quality finish that I want to see in that position and what Tom’s producing.”
As Rangers’ approach in possession becomes a little more patient and less direct, the No.10 is dropping into the midfield rather than remaining always in the space behind the opposition’s. Look at where Lawrence received his passes against Hibs – rarely in the centre, often drifting into the left half-space to face play as Jefte pushed higher to face play.
Where Lawrence received passes against Hibs (Image: StatsBomb)
Lawrence’s goal yesterday was an example of the type of game-breaking quality that played such a big part in bringing him north of the border two years ago. Rangers were generally poor after a late game on Thursday. Rangers needed a big penalty-saving moment from Butland and goal from Lawrence to seal a vital three points.
The origins of how the ball reached the final third in the lead-up to the strike tells a story of the evolving No.10 role at Rangers.
A minute before the strike, Propper plays an excellent line-breaking pass on his left foot to find Lawrence dropping between the lines, behind Hibs’ midfield two before drawing a foul.
(Image: StatsBomb)
(Image: StatsBomb)
A couple of minutes later when this direct ball through is not on, Propper chooses to go around the Hibs 4-4-2 block. Finding Jefte, a player who’s improved Rangers’ build-up immeasurably given an ability to beat his man from the touchline and inject pace into the attack constantly. Rather than going backwards, Jefte can go through a press.
(Image: StatsBomb)
(Image: StatsBomb)
A well-timed vertical run from Raksin opens up a passing lane to Lawrence, free behind the midfield, who returns a vertical pass. Although there’s an element of fortune in how the ball fell to Ross McCausland, who played an excellent reverse pass into Lawrence before his outstanding finish, this was an example of how Clement wants to create quick, vertical attacks with a little more control than last season.
(Image: StatsBomb)
(Image: StatsBomb)
The finish was sublime. Lawrence pushed off on his right foot to earn an angle and from there found the top corner in a fashion few others on the pitch could’ve.
(Image: StatsBomb)
A glance at the attacking midfielder’s numbers after five games supports the claim that Lawrence’s form is better and fitness sharper this season after a full pre-season. Although the midfielder did play deeper for a period last season, the upshot in xG, xG/Shot (quality per effort) and touches in the opposition box is what Clement desires from his No.10.
Lawrence’s underlying numbers are improving (Image: StatsBomb)
The point is, Rangers and Lawrence were not trying to recreate this move every time. There is more variation to their play thanks to the use of their No.10 – holding possession in the right moments and attacking vertically in others.
Lawrence is not a player for every occasion. He can lack the legs to lead a press and has struggled against Celtic. While Clement works with the resources at hand this season, the midfielder will be important, however. His skills, in an evolving No.10 role, can offer Clement the direct attacking threat he needs, while wider improvements in possession help the bigger picture.
Rangers FC
Tom Lawrence
Football
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