Scott Fry’s influence evident as Rangers flourish from set-piece plays
Rangers defeated Aberdeen 2-0 at Pittodrie yesterday, thanks to goals from Thelo Aasgaard and James Tavernier. However, in Rangers’ last meeting with Aberdeen before yesterday, they also defeated the Dons two goals to nothing; these goals came from well-worked set-piece moments, and Scott Fry’s work on the training ground is really paying off. A well-delivered corner from ex-Aberdeen star Connor Barron saw 6 ft 4 defender, Emmanuel Fernandez, rise to score his fifth of the season and give Rangers the lead. Shortly after, another well-crossed ball from Barron saw Nico Raskin, who is one of the smaller Rangers players, make a darting run across the box to head home and give the hosts a 2-0 advantage. The same applied for Rangers again yesterday, with their first goal coming from another well-worked play from a corner, which Jayden Meghoma delivered beautifully to see Norwegian international Thelo Aasgaard lurking in a dangerous position and slotting home confidently. Unfortunately for the Gers, Fernandez thought he had doubled the scoring after heading home a long ball, but after a VAR check, referee David Dickinson disallowed the goal for a foul on Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov. During Rohl’s press conference after the first meeting with Aberdeen, he spoke about how much of a difference Scott Fry has made. ‘Scott is doing a fantastic job, and that is the reason why he is here. We made a good choice. It is not just about the topics and the content; he is also a good human and a good addition to my coaching team. I am very happy.’ ‘You also see the players; we worked a lot on these things, and especially in these tight games, you need this. On the weekend, we scored three times after transition moments and good pressing moments. Today it was after set plays, and maybe next time in ball possession’. Fry joined the club from Lincoln City and played a vital role in their incredible 30 goals from set-plays, which was the most in the league. This has contrasted with this Rangers side, who haven’t been scoring as many goals from set-pieces compared to recent years. It has also been noted that there has been a variety of different takers from these plays; instead of always being the same output in James Tavernier, this includes Jayden Meghoma and Connor Barron before his injury. Now in modern football, set-piece coaches are massive figures and can provide the small margins that can decide matches and league titles. For example, Arsenal have made set-pieces a major weapon under Mikel Arteta, with them being one of the most dangerous in England. This can make a real difference in the race for a title. However, at Rangers, it is clear to see there is more structure in their dead-ball situations with the squad regularly creating good quality chances, and with the height they have in the team now, are Rangers now a threat from set plays?
English FA Cup Fourth Round Draw
The FA Cup fourth round draw has taken place today, and has produced a range of interesting ties. The third round had some high-scoring games, such as Manchester City vs Exeter, which finished 10-1. But it also had a major cup upset, last year’s winners, Crystal Palace, being knocked out by Macclesfield. But here’s how the next set of fixtures looks. Arsenal will face Wigan at home. Aston Villa have drawn fellow Premier League side Newcastle United. Birmingham City will take on Leeds, and Burnley will face League One side Mansfield Town. Another League One vs Premier League side draw in Burton vs West Ham. League Two side Grimsby will host Wolves at Blundell Park, and Hull will be up against Chelsea, where Liam Rosenior will face his 2nd cup fixture as Chelsea manager. Liverpool face Barnsley in the Monday night fixture, and the winner of that game will host Brighton. Shock winners Macclesfield will face another Premier League test as they take on Brentford. Manchester City’s convincing performance against Exeter books their place in the fourth round, and they will face the winner of Salford City vs Swindon Town, which was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Norwich City face West Brom, Oxford United travel to Sunderland, and Bristol City will make the journey to Port Vale. The last three games to be played are Southampton vs. Leicester, Stoke vs. Fulham, and, finally, Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham side will face Ipswich. A total of 16 games to be played over the weekend of the 13th to 15/16th of February.
Celtic recall Welsh from Motherwell loan
Celtic have boosted their defensive options by recalling Stephen Welsh from his loan at Motherwell. The 25-year-old signed a season-long loan deal on Deadline Day and made 17 appearances for the Fir Park side. He impressed in Jens Berthel Askou’s defence, helping them to 4th place, and achieving 9 clean sheets. Motherwell confirmed the recall on their website earlier today, stating, ‘We want to thank Stephen for his hard work during his time at Motherwell and wish him the very best for the future.’ Welsh becomes Celtic’s second January move, after completing a loan deal for Bournemouth right back Julián Araujo. Martin O’Neill is still without the stalwart defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, so both could become key cogs for the Scottish champions. O’Neill’s latest interim reign got off to the perfect start, with a commanding 4-0 home victory over Dundee United. They return to league action against Falkirk on Wednesday.
