In Wednesday’s stunning win at Easter Road, we saw a different element to Rangers in a system that was perfect for that game.
The 4-3-1-2 system delivered a capital punishment for hapless Hibs who had no answer to the wave after wave of attacks that came their way.
It was all the more impressive given the opener went to the hosts after Rangers made an absolute mess of the situation from the set-piece.
With Antonio Colak forming a partnership with Fashion Sakala up top, Ryan Kent took up a position just tucked in behind them providing a formidable narrow front three that was utilised to great effect.
It was 1-2 at half-time but four or five for Rangers at that point would not have been an unfair reflection at the break.
The manager elaborated afterwards that a plan has been in the making on the training ground without specifying if it had been deployed against Hibs:
“We’ve been working on something else behind the scenes in terms of the way we want to play and the energy we want up the pitch and a different shape but it’s finding when because we are in the middle of a busy schedule where we won at the weekend, scoring three goals and four today.”
“So while we are working on something else, what we are actually doing is very good anyway. That’s seven away wins consecutively. We have to keep trying to get better. Sometimes I’m a bit bemused that the belief is not there because when we play how I know we can we look a very good team.”
It has already been noticed that Beale likes to get two strikers/goalscorers into his front line as much as possible but on this occasion with the omission of Alfredo Morelos, the combination of Colak and Sakala worked to a very satisfying extent.
Hibs chose not to change their very open style and that played into Rangers hands. It showed a different way to play but the most important factor was the energy, pressing and cohesion of the whole team that underpinned such a quality performance.