Five things we learned from Partick Thistle 1

Jan Alnwick makes a terrific save from Conor Sammon. Picture: Getty

Partick Thistle 1 - 3 Rangers (AET): Gers made to wait for semi-final

Rangers like doing things the hard way

Two of their better attackers missed one-on-ones with the opposing goalkeeper, and their midfielder scored with a backwards header while almost facing his own dugout - that sums up Rangers nicely under Pedro Caixinha so far this season.

Aside from missing those chances, the away side got far too deep in the closing stages of their Betfred Cup contest at Firhill, and Thistle punished them for it. Ultimately it didn’t matter much to this competition, but Caixinha did not welcome the extra 30 minutes which several of his players had to undertake before this weekend’s meeting with rivals Celtic. It might come back to bite them then, though it didn’t in this particular contest because, having already made unnecessarily difficult on themselves, they were then able to play with free abandon in extra-time where they looked impressive against an admittedly tiring Thistle side.

Rangers needed time to fully implement their gameplan

How Rangers approached the game seemed almost odd in the first half. Often they went from back to front, looking to try and get one of their attackers running in behind the Thistle defenders. Considering they’re a team who usually like to dominate possession and pass the ball through other teams, it was a curious choice. Only when they came out for the start of the second half did the gameplan truly begin to make sense, as they started to implement it effectively.

What Pedro Caixinha had gambled on, and was proven right, was that Thistle would start with the same three-at-the-back system which worked very well on Friday night. Part of the reason it did work well was because the wide players on the front, Blair Spittal and Chris Erskine (or Steven Lawless in this case) would drop back to cover the Rangers full-backs, allowing the wing-backs (Paul McGinn and Christie Elliott) to fall into the defensive line. It would stop the visitors getting the two-on-one advantage on the flanks as much as they’d have liked, which is an issue for a team that likes to cross the ball as much as them (Rangers are second in total crosses in the Premiership this season).

In order to attack this set-up, Rangers wanted to move the play quickly in behind the wing-back, which would then draw the centre-back out of position and create more space. In the first-half it didn’t go to plan all too often, unless it was Declan John bombing forward, but the first ten minutes of the second half was a completely different story.

Starting their moves higher up the park helped, as the balls were less hopeful, more pinpoint. Down the left, especially, they exploited Thistle and precipitated an early substitution and subsequent formation change from Alan Archibald. Unfortunately for the Thistle boss, he couldn’t quite make it in time to stop the opening goal.

Conor Sammon showed his worth as a different option

There have been mixed reviews of Sammon’s time with Thistle so far While it’s clear the attacker brings a physicality and an aerial presence that may otherwise be missing from the club’s attack, Thistle have built their success since around a passing approach since they entered the Premiership. Having the on loan Hearts behemoth as the long-diagonal target on the wing, as he’s largely been used, has seen them move away from such an ethos to some extent.

Tuesday night, though, was a different sort of game. Thistle knew their opponents would have a lot of the ball and, without two of their starting attackers from Friday night’s fixture, didn’t have a lot of options. Kris Doolan could have started but the striker can often be left isolated against the tougher sides in the league, so Archibad turned to Sammon through the centre.

The plan worked very well. Not only did Sammon create the equalising goal for Doolan, who came off the bench, he was a thorn in the side of the Rangers back-line all night. His ability to run the channels, provide an aerial presence and outmuscle the spindly Fabio Cardoso often put Thistle on the front foot with a simple punt up the park.

Providing such a role, as a specialist for games where Thistle are going to be hemmed in for long periods, may be a better solution rather than starting him as wide player in a 4-2-3-1.

Caixinha may have a goalkeeping controversy soon

The stat about Rangers conceding eight league goals from 11 shots on target is a little alarming, and whether Wes Foderingham deserves it or not, ultimately someone is going to pay if the record doesn’t improve. Since the opening day at Motherwell, he’s not really had a real top drawer save that he’s been able to make, and therefore may have been a little worried watching Jak Alnwick do that very thing on Tuesday night.

The 24-year-old’s denial of Sammon near the end of the first half was just superb and it wasn’t his only impressive save of the game. At present he’s a very good back-up goalkeeper to have, but whether he stays as one remains to be seen.

Thistle’s lack of depth came back to bite

Having Miles Storey unavailable for this game ultimately came back to bite Thistle, while Chris Erskine’s suspension for the foul on Alfredo Morelos didn’t help matters either. All in all, the hosts were without those two, Abdul Osman, Callum Booth, Mustapha Dumbuya and Tomáš Černý. Those are all players who would have likely played in the game, if not started. But it was the aforementioned attackers who were really missed as the game went into extra-time.

Thistle should had the momentum on their side and, when the final whistle went, it was hard not to fancy them to win the match in the extra-time period. Unfortunately, the momentum drained away in the quick break before the additional 30 minutes started, as the energy they expelled finding the equaliser caught up with them. Sammon, in particular, was a shadow of himself in extra-time, and how Archibald would have killed to bring Storey or even Erskine off the bench at that point.

Rangers’ options looked limited, but they had a bountiful supply in comparison. Eduardo Herrera, someone who had yet to convince the support, had his best game in a light blue jersey. His physicality against a tiring back-line and ability to hold up the ball was instrumental in Rangers getting a grip of the game right from the off, and he of course played a huge part in both goals.

Five things we learned from Partick Thistle 1 - 3 Rangers