Rangers' Rise Fueled by Set-Piece Strategy Under Danny Rohl
When Danny Rohl assumed leadership at Ibrox in October, a title challenge was the last thing on the minds of most Rangers supporters.
However, he has quickly transformed a depleted squad and a divided fanbase, achieving significant results in a short time.
Recent victories against Celtic on Saturday and Aberdeen on Tuesday have propelled Rangers three points ahead of their Old Firm rivals and just three points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, although they have played one game more than both teams.
Under Rohl's management, Rangers have lost only one league match, with a key factor in their pursuit of the Premiership summit being their effectiveness from set-pieces.
While this is not the sole reason for Rangers' resurgence, the appointment of Scott Fry as set-piece coach in November has proven to be a wise decision.
Fry's previous club, Lincoln City, scored 30 goals from set-pieces last season, the highest in League One, and his expertise has been evident since he joined Rangers.
When Rangers earn a free-kick or corner, Rohl steps back from the touchline, allowing Fry to take charge, resulting in increasing effectiveness.
In a league where many teams often adopt a defensive posture against larger clubs, small margins are crucial. Since Fry's appointment, Rangers have scored seven league goals from corners in just ten games.
Defender Emmanuel Fernandez, who was a peripheral player at the season's start, has made a significant impact, netting four league goals, three of which came in matches decided by a single goal.
Only Dundee United and Hearts have scored more set-piece goals than Rangers (12) this season, and no team has surpassed Rangers in this statistic since Fry's arrival.
In fact, they are now only one goal away from matching their set-piece tally from both of the previous two seasons.
Aberdeen, aware of the threats posed by Rangers, traveled to Glasgow on Tuesday. However, Fernandez and Nicolas Raskin scored from two in-swinging corners delivered by Connor Barron, securing three more valuable points for Rohl's side.
While it may seem straightforward to leverage set-pieces for an edge over competitors, Rangers are currently executing this strategy more effectively than any other team.
Why Are Set-Pieces So Important?
Last season in the Premiership, approximately 25% of all goals originated from set-plays—171 goals from a total of 675, excluding penalties.
This season, that figure has increased slightly to 26%. In simpler terms, a quarter of all goals consistently derive from set-pieces.
In England's top flight, that percentage is even higher, reaching 28.5% this term.
Looking back to the start of last season, Dundee United (42%) and Hearts (36%) heavily depend on goals from dead-ball situations.
Conversely, Celtic's statistics are notable as an outlier, with only 9.6% of their goals—just 14 out of 146—coming from set-pieces.
While expertise in set-pieces does not guarantee success, effectively utilizing them can significantly impact a team's performance.
Rangers have discovered an essential tool that they are skillfully exploiting as they ascend the league table.