Analysing Rangers’ tactics requires more than just a glance at their recent results and formations used. Over the past years, Rangers has endured several turbulent periods, with managers and tactics changing frequently. The Gers also enjoyed some memorable Europa League campaigns, but due to the frequent managerial changes in recent years, to dissect the tactics used against main rivals, we need to check the different styles imposed by managers.
Steven Gerrard’s Tenure – A Shift In Mentality and Tactics
To assess Gerrard’s ability to shift things around in Rangers, we must take a look at the horror show he inherited. Before he arrived, Rangers finished third in the league and were humiliated by Celtic in both matches in the season, 4-0 and 5-0. They were also eliminated from Europe by Progres Niederkom, a club from Luxembourg.
Steven Gerrard took over from Jimmy Nicholl, who didn’t do well. He emphasised stability, but without any progressive tactics.
Gerrard, on the other hand, prioritised an attacking 4-3-3 formation with high pressing and deadly counterattacks. Thanks to this new brand of football, he has won 7 of the 12 games against fierce rivals Celtic.
Post Steven Gerrard – Similar Tactics, Little to Show for It
When Steven Gerrard’s success was recognised by giants in the Premier League, and he was appointed as Aston Villa boss in 2022, Rangers sought another manager with similar ideas. Giovanni van Bronckhorst followed suit.
He adopted a similar approach to Gerrard, albeit with a change in formation. High pressing and counterattack principles remained, and van Bronckhorst managed to win the Scottish Cup with this approach. He was, unfortunately, sacked in 2022 after a lacklustre start to the season.
Then, the real turbulence at Rangers began. Michael Beale, Steve Davis, Phillippe Clement, and Barry Ferguson all took turns on the Rangers managerial hot seat, but with little success.
Philippe Clement – Exploiting Celtic’s Vulnerabilities
For practical purposes, we will not look at each of the aforementioned coaches’ tactical approach for Rangers in big matches. Instead, we will focus on last season’s manager, who also happened to be the only one after van Bronckhorst to win a trophy.
Philippe Clement’s masterclass against Celtic last season in a 3-0 win deserves to be put under the microscope. The Old Firm is widely recognised as one of the top soccer rivalries in the world, and matches like this prove why. The scoreline itself paints a clear picture of dominance, but the tactical blueprint is even more impressive when examined.
Clement managed to suffocate Celtic’s strengths and unleashed all Rangers had to offer in an attacking sense.
Celtic are known for their offensive approach and a high defensive line. They seek to compress the playing field and win the ball quickly, which is what Brendan Rodgers has done his entire career. Clement was wary of this, so he created a game plan that aimed to turn Celtic’s strengths into weaknesses. Here are a few points from that game:
- Intelligent movement: The key to the masterplan lies within Rangers’ attacking players and their intelligent positioning. They constantly attacked the space behind Celtic’s backline, forcing them into an unsolvable dilemma – hold the line and risk being exposed or drop deeper and contradict the coach’s philosophy while attracting pressure.
- Fruits of the labour: The first goal in the game, scored by Ianis Hagi, is a clear indication of Rangers’ plan. He found himself in acres of space after making a great run, and he didn’t struggle to finish past Schmeichel.
- No attacking contribution: Runs such as the one Hagi made for the first goal completely crippled Celtic’s defensive structure. This approach made Celtic’s fullbacks wary of being caught out of position, so they didn’t push forward that often. Celtic’s attacks clearly suffered as a result.
- Midfield pressing: Rangers’ tactical approach wasn’t focused only on Celtic’s high line. It also involved the midfielders (mainly Nicolas Raskin and Mohammed Diomande), relentlessly pressing Celtic’s build-up play with anticipation and aggression. This led to misplaced passes and a lack of control in the game.
- Decisive counterattacks: Rangers typically won possession high up the pitch, and the team wasted no time in transitioning from defence to attack. Midfielders were once again the key, as they showed their creative spark, vision, and passing range.
Calculated Risk and Reward
Rangers’ counterattacking blueprint under Clement was built on calculated risk — pressing high, stealing possession, and striking before the opponent could reset. This mirrors the mechanics of any crash gambling game on Slotozilla, where every second counts and the decision to ‘cash out’ or push further determines the outcome. You can try out such titles for free in demo mode on the mentioned platform to understand how they work.
Just like in football, the key here lies in identifying the right moment to act, knowing when to commit fully and when to pull back before the advantage evaporates.
A More Conservative Approach in Europe
Without offending anyone, the quality of teams in the Europa League is much greater compared to what Rangers are up against in their domestic league. Philippe Clement lost his job in February 2025, after which Barry Ferguson took over.
His style of play was different in domestic matches, but he grabbed the headlines in the Europa League – especially the clash against Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
In Istanbul, instead of going for the usual back four, Rangers deployed a more conservative approach and started the game with three centre-backs. Tavernier shifted inside, with Ridvan Yilmaz and Jefte operating as attacking wing-backs. This gave Rangers a much-needed width in attack, and both of them dropped into midfield when needed.
What is also important in away European matches, this kind of shape gave Rangers a defensive solidity which was a necessity, given Fenerbahce’s dangerous attacking personnel. This system clearly frustrated Mourinho, as his team never looked comfortable or even able to break it down.
Even though Fenerbahce enjoyed 65% possession in the game, they lost 3-1 on home soil, with many of the attacks evidently requiring just luck to be finished off.
This tactical flexibility showed that Ferguson was willing to adapt to his opponent’s style. Rangers lost the second leg, but they did just enough to progress, before eventually being eliminated by Bilbao.
What Can Rangers Fans Expect From Russel Martin?
In June 2025, Russel Martin was appointed the new Rangers head coach, and it was a move that left plenty baffled. Martin enjoyed a bad stint in the Premier League with Southampton, with criticism resonating around his inability to adapt to opponents’ strengths and stubbornly forcing his own tactics.
There is a small element of truth there, but it would be overly simplistic and selfish to argue that managers need to change all the time when facing different types of opponents. There has to be a blueprint, something that will make them stand out from the rest.
So, according to experts, there is a misconception about how people perceive Russel Martin’s possession-based playing style. It is not just “passing the ball around”, as some people like to call it.
Martin has proved that if his team can go into attacking positions in two passes, they will do just that, without excessive passing around.
Another criticism is that he has never been able to dominate low-block teams because he hasn’t faced any. Well, that is just total nonsense, as in the Championship, his teams often faced low-block opponents who were too scared to open up and deploy their own attacking tactics.
If teams want to head into a low block in Scotland, then Martin is expected to thrive. That is what he wants, and we are likely to see lots of goals being scored by Rangers.
Of course, there is a negative side to it all. An expansive and attacking philosophy leads to an increased risk. There will be a lot of one-v-one defending at the back, which is where Southampton failed in the Premier League. Their defenders were simply not up to the task.
It remains to be seen how Russel Martin will approach games against Rangers’ big rivals, but it seems we are poised for entertaining and high-scoring derby games.