Rangers’ Set-Piece Prowess Fuels Title Challenge

Nicolas Raskin netted Rangers’ second goal from a corner in their 2-0 victory over Aberdeen.

When Danny Rohl assumed command at Ibrox in October, a title challenge was the farthest thought from the minds of most Rangers supporters. However, he has remarkably revitalized a depleted squad and mended a fractured fanbase in a notably short period.

Recent victories against Celtic on Saturday and Aberdeen on Tuesday have propelled Rangers three points above their Old Firm rivals and positioned them just three points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, albeit having played one game more than both.

Under Rohl’s stewardship, Rangers have lost just one league match. A notable factor contributing to their ascent up the Premiership table is their exceptional performance from set-pieces.

Rangers have indeed re-entered the title race, but Rohl is adamant that they can achieve even more.

Following their win against Aberdeen, Rangers now find themselves merely three points away from Hearts.

While their success cannot be attributed solely to set-pieces, the appointment of Scott Fry as set-piece coach in November has proven to be an astute decision. At his former club, Lincoln City, Fry’s methods resulted in 30 goals from set-pieces last season—the highest in League One. His expertise has become increasingly apparent since his transition to Scotland.

When Rangers earn a free kick or a corner, Rohl steps away from the touchline, allowing Fry to take charge, a strategy that has yielded positive results. In a league where many teams often adopt a defensive stance against larger clubs, small margins become critical. Since Fry’s appointment, Rangers have scored seven league goals from corners in just ten matches.

Towering defender Emmanuel Fernandez, who was a peripheral figure in the early part of the season, has now made a significant impact by scoring four league goals, three of which contributed to narrow victories.

Only Dundee United and Hearts have scored more goals from set-pieces than Rangers this season, with the Ibrox outfit registering 12 such goals. Remarkably, they are now just one goal shy of their total set-piece tally from each of the previous two seasons.

Aberdeen arrived in Glasgow on Tuesday fully aware of the threats posed by Rangers. However, Fernandez and Raskin capitalized on two in-swinging corners from Connor Barron, securing three crucial points for Rohl’s squad.

While it may seem obvious to leverage set-pieces for a competitive advantage, Rangers are currently executing this strategy more effectively than any other team.

In the last season of the Premiership, approximately 25% of all goals were derived from set plays—171 goals out of a total of 675, excluding penalties. This season, that figure has risen by 1%. Consistently, a quarter of all goals originate from set-pieces.

In England’s top flight, this percentage is slightly higher at 28.5% for the current season. Analyzing trends back to the start of last season, Dundee United (42%) and Hearts (36%) have heavily relied on goals from dead-ball situations, while Celtic stands as an outlier, with only 9.6% of their goals scored from set-pieces (14 out of 146 goals).

While proficiency in set-pieces does not guarantee success, effectively utilizing them can significantly impact results. Rangers have discovered and are now exploiting an essential tool as they ascend the league table.