Here’s WHY Todd Cantwell is thriving in ‘new’ No.10 role

Todd Cantwell has four league goals in five games playing as Philippe Clement’s No.10 – here’s how the Rangers midfielder has adapted to new requirements in an old role.

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Read more on this topic…

📘 How Todd Cantwell is getting back to his best under Clement: https://www.rangersreview.co.uk/features/24111882.todd-cantwells-recovering-rangers-form-new-no-10-role/
📘 Todd Cantwell’s youth coach on the making of ‘maverick’ player: https://www.rangersreview.co.uk/interviews/23407622.making-todd-cantwell-rangers-football-mad-mavericks-origins/
📘 Todd Cantwell on tactical freedom on the pitch: https://www.rangersreview.co.uk/tactics/23472998.todd-cantwell-rangers-freedom-exactly-planned/
📘 Why Philippe Clement managed the right-sided situation well: https://www.rangersreview.co.uk/opinion/23965383.todd-cantwell-rangers-no-10-amid-clements-clever-management/

Hello everybody and welcome uh to another uh Rangers review special video a new series we’ve launched we’re launching here as you all know we’ve been discussing recording a special Todd cill video for a number of days now but uh of course in Planet Rangers things

Get in the way but finally we’ve got the chance to sit down and discuss uh Todd and his role at Rangers and how it has changed under uh Philip clonton uh recent weeks this is a part of a new series incidentally folks we’re looking to do uh shorter little videos just

Focusing on a specific topic like to say that Joshua Barry’s come armed with slides and graphs and what have you to discuss Todd in great detail how’s it going Joshua yeah good this isn’t one for the the people on the morning briefing who shout at me when I get an

XG graph up or something Derek but as you say h you know a lot of what we do um on the Rangers review web website was based around these kind of long form features or delving into um topics whether that be tactical um long form AIT players Journey whatever it may be

And hopefully what these videos will allow us to do each week is is delve into one of these topics today it’s Todd cwell you know effectively why is he performing so well he has four goals and five League starts and how is he adapted to a different type of number 10 role

Under Philip clont inspired by a quote that we’ll read out that camp well gave himself a week ago saying how different that role is compared to the one that he was maybe playing at the end of last season under Michael Beal so hopefully allows us to to kind of explore one of

These topics together in depth and and looking forward to having a talk about Todd Campell head of obviously Rangers versus Ross County tonight yeah uh he certainly we have seen an upturn in form from him I did say in the morning briefing early with JN that I was uh

Really disappointed wasn’t only one of course in his performance at Park head because I thought he was it could be a potential Game Changer in that game but uh in recent weeks certainly after returning from the winter break he’s shown more of his uh true potential um

How has his role changed then Joshua from I mean when he arrived last uh well a year past in January there with niik Rasin H I was really excited to see him in action and he and uh Rasin really um improved that that Rangers first 11

The league was uh pretty much a a pipe dream then unfortunately but certainly in a a poer side you would say there were there were shining lights um however we’ve seen at the start of the season when he was dropped for that game at K raised a few eyebrows it’s fair to

Say then was played out of position under Michael be didn’t really see the best of them even under clemont when he get hooked uh in the first half against Aris you’re thinking as a as his time at Rangers perhaps nearing an end under the new manager but what has changed for for

Todd in recent weeks yeah well let let’s start with let’s start with be um because I agree there’s been a lot in this last year Derek hasn’t there and and you know he was brought into to play a very specific role I think over the course he’s had a a good year and

Borging on really good in in moments I agree though that until Todd K or any other attacker Rangers attacker the difference between an old firm goal or not at the moment is is even more heightened than usual because it’s been far too long since Rangers won a meaningful game in that

Fixture but let let’s start by looking at what his role was under Beal so it’s important obviously discuss the fact that Beal’s football is very different from clemont and campwell was brought in to play one of the free roles under Beal who wanted he had one or two players who

Were totally free in the attack um The Possession was slower the buildup play was slower and I think Deal’s philosophy was that Rangers built around these type of players like campwell who could you know a lot of managers may be rely on patterns of play in the final third that

Wasn’t really be style at Rangers it was more based around getting players like campwell and Tillman and Raskin and others playing in close combination obviously relying on the fullbacks for with and that is where your your kind of Ingenuity Ingenuity is that word comes from number 10 have kind of gone out of

Of fashion if you will but the type of player that Campell is I thought I think that suited it um very well he wasn’t normally one of the two highest players if I’ve got a pass Network here from one of the games and he played different

Roles under field der as you say started kind of deeper on the right played at points on the left of a Midfield three and then ended the season in that number 10 slot which is why I think so many people were frustrated when that didn’t carry over into this season we look in

In isolation when he played as the number 10 in this kind of 4312 for the final five games of last season this is a pass network from um Rangers to Hearts to which was a game where Camp scored towards the end of the season and and all this does is it’s charting the

Average passing position the larger the circle the more involved the player is so what should stand out to here Derek is C’s a number 10 but you know he’s got three players that are ahead of him in terms of the average position they are in the pitch he’s almost in line with

The fullbacks he’s the biggest circle because he’s got the most of the the ball he’s he’s a center of that team and and even when he was playing deeper that was that was the same thing it was his job to knit together attacks maybe his starting position would would differ

Slightly maybe in this role his requirement was to get Beyond but if we look as well the successful passes he received over that five game period and here they are now people can feel feel free to pause that now for a player playing at number 10 Derek that’s a lot

Of passes received in your own half it’s a lot of passes out wide not many in and around the Penalty Box and when we show Camp Ms pass has received playing at number 10 over the last month I think you’ll see the difference the point being regardless of whether he played

Higher or low under de Beal obviously there’d be slight differences but he was a free player able to move towards the ball a bit of a slower pace of play and I think when it worked it suited him down to the ground and he said just

After he came to Rangers he said I’m enjoying myself I said when I came here the manager and that was be at time is going to Give Me Freedom um the way I want and I think you’re starting to see the best of me because I’m picking up

The ball not lot of places unpredictability of of of movement again I think that was a key idea um and I don’t think that worked this season for for Beal and but I think that was one of the the key tenants of of what he wanted

In an attacking sense the reason I came here campill continued was because of the manager um I have a bit more freedom in terms of what you’re seeing Day end out for me is exactly what we planned I know the best of me as yet to come and

We did a piece and all the pieces we referenced Eric will be linked in the in the description but one of the pieces we did on campwell which was particularly interesting was with the guy called Jimmy Unwin who was his youth coach at Norwich for a number of years I love

Doing these pieces because I think you get a real sense of who the player is um they formative years why they play as they play and and cwell I think cwell is as onwi called him a Maverick he said sometimes Mavericks get misread Todd just wants to express himself he was

Always hardworking and for me he stagnated a little bit at Norwich because he’s not played at that number 10 and has had to move wide instead playing in the middle suits him down to the ground if you think of the type of player C is Derek he’s a bit

Oldfashioned at points and times you know he’s a dribbler but he’s not an explosive out wide dribbler he’s someone who feels like a real proper footballer because he does things that you don’t really see um he he’s quite maybe a bit of a street footballer in that sense and

Just one more quote before we move on when he did a really interesting piece with the athletic a couple years ago called a few years ago my game and my words when he was talking about his dribbling style and I think this reveals quite a lot he says I always base my

Touches off what Defenders think I’m going to do and make them double think so with that touch the ball has been passing to me away he’s speaking at a specific example so the defender shifts his body I let it go across my body and then go back so we can’t react at the

Same time because I’ve only thought of that at the last minute as well dribbling is essentially moving while protecting the ball keeping the ball close I never knock it and run so much because I feel like you lose a bit of control so hopefully that gives a bit of

Context I think as to what type of player can’t well is Derek and why that probably proved a natural fit to Bey someone who even that quote there I’ve only thought about it at the last minute as well I think spoke to the type of

Style be was trying to create with c and that free role that we seen last season someone who had that free role was a number 10 but very specific type of number 10 who had a lot of freedom didn’t really translate into to this season which is leads us up to obviously

He got that injury and then leads us into the conversation of um why it didn’t quite work out under clont in the first instance yeah is it maybe based on the fact I mean clont did touch on this uh and he playing on that right hand side being light in options over there

When he first came in of course we’ve seen the upturn inan Ross MC over on that side we know that Oscar Cortez can play out there on that right wing Scott Wright is an option as well uh and that gives Todd cell the opportunity to move infield play in his more natural

Position that free role being able to drift um where he wants pretty much um whereas the sort of right hand side experimen is one that I’m the manager did say he may ask him to play there uh if um if injuries and what have you um

Insist that he doesn’t have H he has limited options but uh certainly over on the right it doesn’t suit him does it Joshua no and I’ve got here a gift deric now the gift’s going to just play out so if if again people can pause it but

Hopefully H this will will give people a bit of a a Viewpoint of what we’re discussing so this is the the flash point against Aris as I’ve called it so the ball goes out wide I’ll play it from the start again ball goes out wide to Camp well SF Fuentes runs Beyond cwell

Runs into traffic um doesn’t play the ball into the space where sentes is running which is probably what clont would would want him to do almost actually keeps the ball but loses the ball Rangers lose the ball in a position where clemont wouldn’t want them to lose

The ball I’ll play it through one more time for people um because they’re not protected to they’re not set up to protect against the transition um so why did cwell play on the right in the start an element of pragmatism um I think because Rangers as you say didn’t have a

Natural option out there and I think think Clon wanted to protect um Ross mcen somewhat camell was coming back from injury as well but I also think and then this ties us into what we’re going to talk about his number 10 position now I also think it’s because what clont

Wants in that number 10 position Derek which is different to what Beal wants it’s not is positionally free you’ve got two wide Wingers which makes it slightly different um there’s more of a requirement I think to be a second Striker than a connector through the

Thirds and so if if we look for example and and we’ll touch on the right and and maybe why it didn’t work as well I think just one more time on this example campwell shifting off his right hand side he’s not a two-way Winger on this side because he’s not going to be

Explosiv explosive and go up the wing I think that’s why you’ve got the option of sentes is running that kind of tactical setup and he’s not able to protect the ball with his left leg and kind of right challenges the way I always think of Camp’s a bit like greish

In that way where he’s not got loads of Tricks but as he said when he’s his dribbling style is basing his touches off Defenders it’s more about riding tackles and and maybe being inventive and and and dribbling in quite a specific type of way if we look at the number 10

R under clont um and and this again is a pass Network this is actually the game H aberin last weekend now again you notice the difference firstly between deal system and this Derek Rangers were pretty dominance he”s still got pretty high fullbacks but look how high Campell

Is the number 10 now now he’s head of the striker now the Wingers are up there as well and and again this is a very offensive Midfield setup but the point being that the requirement is is is different clemont’s tactic style I think is more direct in the buildup it’s

Quicker he doesn’t want leral passes in the middle as he reminded us at his first press conferences there’s Wingers um it’s very very different and and I think a key point is his off ball position campwell now is kind of the second player he’s the second Striker

Off the ball and that translates into his position when he when H when Rangers do win the ball he’s high up the pitch next to Fabio Silva seral Des with the two Wingers dropping back as we seen with SEMA especially to offer a defensive cover it’s more positionally strict

Um and if if you look at for example here’s the passes that Campos received in the last four or five games I think it’s five games playing as a number 10 now I’ll go back to the first one under Beal but again I think you can see from

The first instance Derek how different this is now this is a successful passes he’s received in League games in in in 2024 hardly any in his own half a lot more around the Box some are more direct h a lot towards the right as well but if

I just flick back quickly to the again him playing number 10 under be you can just see his yeah it’s it’s and that’s because the buildup is different you know and I think Rangers will have a way to go to to improve that over time I think that’s

Something that um they will need to improve probably it takes a preseason to to maybe go through the Midfield more than they have been at points but you just see there it’s different so to to to quote Campell himself he said last weekend I’ll go back to that pass

Network um it’s been tough a lot of people forgot I was out for 2 and a half to 3 months there’s always a lot of noise about me and I’m nor a player who invites that type of thing but as long as supporters are seeing the good things

Then it’s all right I’m playing centrally as number 10 now and I’m giving out the numbers that I think I can do obviously he’s got four goals and five week starts this year Derek the manager knows what my best position is his words to me were when I first came

In with a few injuries um listen I’m playing in a position I like and I think I’m showing it as my best position however the thing that is clear is I’m playing in as a different number 10 than I was before it’s a different style a different way of playing you can see

That I’m not being asked to play the way I was last season I see a lot of comments Todd’s not getting involved Todd’s not doing this but being asked to play differently and it is working the numbers are coming I’m enjoying myself so let’s just enjoy it so then Derek if

We skip forward um what what what is this difference how are we seeing this firstly you look at the the the base number of stats this is Camp Well’s um shot map now he’s overperformed as XG by about two so I don’t expect him to to necessarily continue this scoring rate

But as expected goals has jumped from 0.24 to 0.37 from H before um New Year to after New Year um is expected goals per shot which is just how threaten each shot is has jumped from 0.11 to 0.17 and finally his deep progressions which is just getting the ball into the

Final thirds has dropped by about 1.5 from 6.7 to 5.3 so why is the role different um it’s a bit more positionally strict Rangers are building play in a different way I think it’s a mixture of campwell adapting his game to clont and maybe we forget that’s why he

Didn’t play number 10 in the first instance just hypothesizing there I don’t know um but also I think Clon is starting to to get more out of camp in that position and when he was asked about him last week in the press conference he said I see him growing

He’s doing more and much more of what is necessary for the team and he starts to understand better the story now I think it’s important to caveat Derek that cell’s a really hardworking player and that always shows up in the pressure numbers there’s also an element to him

That he is a bit of a Maverick a bit of an individual in the way he plays but that’s what makes him good isn’t it that that’s why he’s he’s he’s been able to provide moments and and and I guess sometimes maybe as a footballer your strength can also be your weakness at

Points and it just takes a period of of adaptation to to show it so just to finish I’ve got a few examples of the key themes that I think we’re seeing why that number 10 role is different mainly being you’re seeing campwell run beyond the striker more and drop in to the

Opposition to sorry to his own half less as we saw in in that past Network he’s receiving between the lines a lot more I think that’s his best trait is is how he receives between the lines very quickly shifts his ball and and works in tight spaces um he’s getting on the ball

Higher up the pitch and he’s starting as as as one of the highest two so again I I’ll play these gifts through a few times and just discuss what I think you’re seeing with it this is the goal against H Aberdine last week the thing

That stood out to me here was he doesn’t move towards the ball Fabio Silva again I’ll play it through again but Fabio Silva is the one who drops off with Tom Lawrence and it’s Todd cell who’s the one who runs Beyond recognizing that’s a moment to to get into the box and that’s

Ultimately how he scores I think that’s what clont wants from his his number 10 position if we move on to a goal he scored against Livingston I think this is a perfect example I’ll go back to the start with this this is this goal is a perfect example of what clont wants from

His number 10 again hypothesizing and again playing against a team who are sitting deep all of Liv Livingston’s players R in their own half Ryan Jack plays a fantastic pass but again you can just tell frame by frame you see how quickly cwell turns milliseconds but he

Manages to shift his body that attracts out the left back gives space for Ross Mand and then crucially continues run into the box to score it’s something that Scott arfield always said in the Press about Todd Campell he needs to get his numbers up James Taver said he’s

Always encouraging him to get into that number 10 spot as well but I think that’s that’s what you want from him in that position it’s a skill to receive in that position between the lines it’s a skill to be able to turn so quickly in one motion and then the the the

Necessary bit is being a being ruthless I guess and getting into to the Penalty Box and just two more examples Derek similar against Hibbs this goalie scored away I thought this was is a good example of him taking his anger out in the game in the right way because

Obviously being bundled over by the touch line Ross mland is the one who’s deeper whereas Camp M High between the lines same line as a striker again receiving High turning quickly turning in one motion attempts a shot from range that that goes in very similar themes instead of dropping towards the ball

Which might have been his natural inclination Rangers are building more directly he’s the one that’s high through the lines and obviously gets a goal um and I think that is actually my my final example there but very similar themes Derek that that I think um that

Show how that role is is is is differentiated from being the player under be who everything was based around and and he moved towards the ball more it was slightly slower it was more maybe relational it was about relationships with other players I still think clont

Will want to get the best out of him and I think you’re seeing that this year we don’t know what’s going to happen long term we’re merely kind of commentating on what’s happened over the past five games um I think you still need to see it in games like the old firm because

That’s just how you you cement your legacy a team like Rangers but even just coming off the bench there just to my last example coming off the bench against air I thought one you saw him have a bit more of a spring in his step and again similar themes look at where

He receives the ball between the lines giv the pass an option turning with his back to goal basing his touches off what the defender thinks so I think that’s why we’re starting to see a little bit more of him probably a mixture of him learning what clont wants and maybe as

Well clont learning how to get the best out of him in that number 10 role and obviously we’ll see we’ll see if it continues over the next month or two Rangers will certainly hope that this form does yeah let’s let’s hope it does outstanding analysis there Joshua thank

You very much for that incidentally you can uh read uh the piece uh over on the website as well that goes into detail about Todd kau’s upturn and for I’ll stick the link in the description below so do go and check it out uh as we

Touched on at the start of the show it’s something we’re hoping to do more of uh going forward hopefully you enjoyed that folks uh and uh yeah there will be more to come your way incidentally just looking ahead to tonight we’ll be back for as usual all the pre-match and

Postmatch videos coming your way hopefully Rangers will get the the job done against Ross County tonight an opportunity to go top of the Premiership table which is quite incredible really H thanks Joshua and uh we’ll speak to you a little later on bye for now