written by – Rangers Report

Note:  For an explanation of this statistic, please read this introductory post.

CZE:  Controlled Zone Entry, Pos Res:  Positive Result, Success Rate:  percentage of controlled entries turned into a positive result

This data is meant to be an entry point to further understand where Rangers attack is being generated.  It is, however, only a starting point.

These stats would have much greater meaning if passing in the final third was tracked.  The players mentioned above are the catalysts for advanced play in the attacking third, but the ultimate results usually fall upon the feet of their teammates.

• Rangers high number of Controlled Zone Entries, & low rate of turning those entries into something positive, highlight a breakdown of quality in the final third.  This is where the match broke down, as far too much of Rangers possession in the attacking third ended with turnovers.  This is where the team’s video analysts will be working overtime this week.  How much was simply good defence from Hibs & how much was slack play by Rangers players?
• James Tavernier led the way with ten CZEs & those resulted in three shots – but that is skewed slightly by two shots on one entry.  Overall, play broke down on Tavernier’s entries – again analysis of what happened after the zone entry is needed here to determine how much blame is on Tavernier & how much is on his teammates.
• Jason Holt may have been the best player on the pitch for Rangers, as he drove play into the final third at a much higher rate then he normally does.
• These numbers dispute some of the criticism of Gedion Zelalem.  In only 32 minutes, he accounted for 12% of the team’s controlled entries into the final third.  His CZEs resulted in a positive play for Rangers 83% of the time – for the most part it was retaining possession but leaving the final third, along with a cross played into a dangerous area & a throw-in.
• One trend that has come to the forefront ever since I started tracking this stat is that Rangers are at its best when Barrie McKay is playing a prominent role in driving play in the the final third.  That didn’t happen on Sunday.
• Rangers are also at their best when there is a balanced approach to entering the final third.  That also didn’t happen on Sunday, with 33% coming from right sided players (Tavernier, Oduwa & Waghorn) but only 14% coming from the left (Wallace & McKay).  With the other 53% coming centrally, it really highlights how much this team relies on Barrie McKay to bring balance to their entries into the final third.

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