More than one thing can be true when it comes to Rangers and our current problems.
Are Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s tactics contributing to our performances and results? Absolutely.
Is our injury list affecting how the manager’s tactics are put into practice? Yes.
To say that the injuries Gio has had to put up with over the last year are irrelevant is utter nonsense. Are we really suggesting that if he had Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe available for 60 games together instead of just their 11 or 12 we would be no better off? Or, that if Tom Lawrence and Ianis Hagi could be called upon to provide creativity from a central position we would still resort to just throwing balls into the box?
It’s ok to be critical of Van Bronckhorst whilst also accepting that he’s not had it easy, it’s also revisionist to say that Filip Helander, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Hagi wouldn’t improve our current team, they were all key players in a title-winning season. Not only that but, when they are fit, they improve the squad as a whole. At the moment, our midfield is getting picked on who is available, as is the centre of defence. The manager doesn’t have much choice in these areas, it’s that simple.
There is no way that Jams Sands and Leon King would be playing as often as they are at the back or Scott Arfield and Steven Davis in midfield if everyone was fit.
This doesn’t defend how we are trying to play though. There is no reason why that against Livingston we shouldn’t have been trying to drag defenders out of position centrally and attempt to play through them because we all knew that we would get the ball back within seconds to allow us to have another go if it didn’t come off.
Livingston has to be a watershed if we are to have any success this season, regardless of who was responsible.