Aberdeen Tactics Watch: Jimmy Thelin took half-time gamble at Rangers – but Barry Ferguson out-thought him.
Our tactics expert, Gavin MacPhee, examines what went wrong for Aberdeen to concede four goals after the break at Ibrox.
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin made a number of changes for Sunday’s trip to Rangers, including Jamie McGrath’s inclusion at no.10, which saw the Dons shift to a 4-2-3-1 formation out of possession.
The Irishman defended the space where the Rangers’ deeper midfielders were located, with a special focus on Conor Barron.
The first period at Ibrox saw a disciplined Aberdeen deny Rangers space, if not possession, with the home side’s only clear opening coming from Cyriel Dessers’ 27th minute header.
Aberdeen responded with a well-worked opening for Topi Keskinen, aided largely by McGrath’s awareness and craft in flicking the ball over the top – but, as has been the case this season, the Finn failed to capitalise when clean through on goal.
Jimmy Thelin makes his move at half-time, but Rangers manager Barry Ferguson outsmarts him
We don’t know if Jimmy Thelin is a gambler, but when given the option of sticking or twisting, he rarely opts for the former.
At halftime, the Dons manager decided to sharpen his team’s attack by bringing on Pape Gueye and Kevin Nisbet – changes designed to disrupt the Rangers’ build-up and give their defence something to think about, in what resembled a 4-4-2 formation.
It made an immediate impact. A sustained period of possession resulted in a good opportunity for Keskinen (once again), before Gueye’s long-range effort tested Liam Kelly.
However, Thelin was not the only manager making changes; just as in the previous meeting, Barry Ferguson and his Rangers coaching staff made the most significant changes at the break.
Ferguson stated in his post-match interview that: “We changed tactically, I wanted more runners from midfield, and I thought we were really convincing.”
Rangers brought on Hamza Igamane to play as a striker coming in from the left, while Vaclav Cerny operated as a more pure central no.10, sometimes forming a diamond shape in midfield, though Nicolas Raskin moved freely within it.
Aberdeen’s overall defence is lacking.
The first Rangers goal resulted in defensive issues all over the pitch.
When the ball shifted, Nisbet and Gueye appeared to see-saw to the deeper midfielder, in contrast to Oday Dabbagh and McGrath, who had demonstrated greater clarity in their roles in terms of positioning out of possession.
For the first goal, if Gueye is a couple of steps deeper, he may win the ball back or James Tavernier will not attempt that pass (see below).
If McGrath is the no. 10, he’s probably much closer to Raskin than Nisbet is.
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We then see some of the difficulties Rangers’ positioning caused the Dons team – Cerny is behind Polvara (below), who is torn between pressing the man, tracking the runner, and blocking the passing lane. He does none of the three.
Kristers Tobers then attempts to step up on Igamane in the event that the ball was played to his feet when he should have been closer to his defensive partner, causing Knoester to get himself into a tangle with his body positioning.
To be fair, it is a great pass and finish, but one can only imagine what legendary Aberdeen defensive duo Willie Miller and Alex McLeish discussed at Ibrox after the game.
The story repeats itself.
The second goal had many of the same elements – an easy first pass out of defence to break a disjointed press and runners from deep before some comical defensive efforts in the last line, including Tobers’ decision to dive in so early, allowing Raskin to find a man, but we also have Leighton Clarkson and Greame Shinnie who could have done more to stop the cross and ball from entering.
Polvara had a great chance to put the Dons back in the game, but blazed over – another reminder of the importance of seizing opportunities when they arise.
The manager was dissatisfied with the Dons’ lack of positional discipline, as they conceded two more goals during a crucial period when goal difference could determine the final standings.
Aberdeen’s struggles in Glasgow under Thelin
Thelin’s first visit to Glasgow, and the 2-2 draw with Celtic, sparked hope, but Aberdeen has since travelled south four times to face one of the top two. They’ve conceded 18 goals and scored one.
How do you resolve some of these issues?
It’s difficult to deny space to good players; a higher line leaves more space behind, while a deeper line makes it difficult to escape.
Sit in and you will be told that you lack ambition. If you act aggressively, you will be labelled as naive.
However, Hibs and Motherwell, as well as St Mirren, have found a balance and a result at Ibrox in recent weeks.
You may not get it right every time, but a familiar pattern is emerging for the men in red in these matches.
The Dons are experiencing a defining period, with low confidence on the pitch and in the stands. It would be a shame if a season and managerial tenure that began so well ended with a whimper.
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