Supporters glancing through Opta’s official post-match pass network following Rangers’ 4-0 destruction of St Johnstone on Saturday (24 October) could easily be forgiven for feeling bewildered.

According to the Opta graphic, starting front pairing Ryan Naderi and Kevin Kelsy appeared to operate in completely isolated silos, with zero lines drawn between the two central focal points.

At first glance, one might assume McInnes’ central forwards spent the afternoon on completely different wavelengths. Yet, anyone watching Rangers knew that the graphic hid the most devastating attacking link-up of the entire match.

Why Opta did not register Ryan Naderi and Kevin Kelsy passes despite combining for Rangers goal

The apparent disconnect stems from standard data filtering rules. To prevent pass networks from devolving into unreadable webs, analytics providers like Opta implement a strict minimum threshold – typically requiring at least three completed passes between two players before drawing a connecting line.

Because Naderi and Kelsy traded low pass volume during their 69 minutes together, their visual connection was completely erased from the graphic. However, what they lacked in passing quantity, they more than made up for in ruthless quality.

In the 29th minute, Minsu Kim slid a line-breaking pass down the left channel to Naderi, who unselfishly squared a precise ball into the box for Kelsy to tap home the opener.

Just minutes later, history nearly repeated itself. Naderi picked up possession in identical fashion and sliced open the Saints backline with another carbon-copy pass to Kelsy, only for the Rangers forward to be denied by a fine reflex save from goalkeeper Toby Steward.

Far from being a sign of dysfunction, the lack of passing volume between Naderi and Kelsy highlights the tactical brilliance of McInnes’ front two.

Rather than dropping deep to clog central spaces and trade short horizontal passes, the duo operated on distinct vertical planes: Naderi drifting into the channels to pull defenders out of position, and double-scorer Kelsy occupying the centre-backs inside the penalty area.

It is a reminder that while data visualisation tools provide fantastic context, they can occasionally obscure the true story of a match. Naderi and Kelsy didn’t need a spiderweb of passing lines to dismantle St Johnstone – they just needed two devastating moments to prove their blossoming partnership is the real deal.