Rangers first two signings of the January window might not have been blockbuster multi-million pound transfers but what they have done with their arrival is suggest that Giovanni van Bronckhorst might be entertaining tinkering with his formation.
The subtle changes that the Gers gaffer has made to our shape and style of play have had an instant impact, we are no longer one dimensional and easy to play against but, by signing two players who are used to playing in a back three, could we be about to see something we’ve not seen since Steven Gerrard’s early days against Motherwell?
When most fans think about three at the back we tend to let our minds drift to the 90s when 3-5-2 was en vogue and the preferred system for most club and international managers but, in recent years, a modern twist has seen 3-4-3 be deployed allowing for teams to still press higher up the park whilst not leaving central defenders too isolated at the back.
In Souttar and Sands we have two players who are comfortable in possession – both have played in midfield in the past – and are happy to dribble the ball out from the back, a skill that can help us against teams who like to sit in and absorb pressure.
Because of Gio’s love of wingers, moving to 3-5-2 would see him bench the likes of Ryan Kent and I just can’t see that happening, in a 3-4-3 formation, he would still be able to deploy designated wide men, although, Joe Aribo would probably have to be available to play alongside Glen Kamara for it to be a complete success.
Having more options is never a bad thing, as we saw under Gerrard, we gradually became more predictable to play against, it looks like Van Bronckhorst is taking early steps to make sure this doesn’t happen during his tenure.