Rangers

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

Rangers' defensive frailties came home to roost on Tuesday night as they were beaten by a scoreline that will have been a surprise to absolutely no-one who has watched them this season.

A lack of control, of care in possession, of assertiveness and responsibility have been evident from the opening game of the season against Panathinaikos.

Those failings have already cost them vital league points against Motherwell and Dundee and now look to have scuppered their hopes of reaching the Champions League.

Russell Martin wants to be judged in May but he's got to get there first and with fans already vocally expressing their displeasure over what they're watching, as many of his predecessors can testify, it is difficult to retain the backing of the board when the support has turned against you.

Goodness knows what the new owners have made of the rancour that is already emanating from the stands, but presumably they will not want to rush to judgement as the new project takes shape.

It's not so long ago, after all, that Ange Postecoglou experienced a similar start to life across the city. Dumped out of the Champions League qualifiers, losing his first league game, then the first Old Firm derby, but gradually ingratiating himself with an initially sceptical fanbase to become a hero, with a scintillating brand of football.

It is difficult to identify the brand of football Martin wants to play right now, with the players perhaps still getting to grips with what he's asking them to do.

With a difficult-looking trip to Paisley at the weekend before the second leg in Brugge and an Old Firm derby on the horizon, they need to do that quickly, or the heat is only going to intensify.

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Rangers defender John Souttar says there is still "belief" among the squad that they can still reach the Champions League despite their 3-1 hammering at home to Club Brugge.

The Belgian side were ahead inside the opening 20 minutes after lapses in defensive concentration allowed sloppy goals to be conceded at a furious Ibrox.

Russell Martin's ragged side rallied and Brazilian striker Danilo pulled a goal back four minutes after the break, but Rangers face a monumental task in the second leg in Belgium next Wednesday.

"I thought we brought the pressure on ourselves, conceding those two goals in the manner that we did, the third one as well," Souttar said.

"That brings pressure on yourself and it makes everything harder.

"We have to go over there and we have to be on the front foot, we can't afford to give away goals like we did and we have to implement our game plan on them instead of giving them the start we did on Tuesday.

"There is the belief. We have had big results in Europe away from home in the last few years so there is that belief but there is no point in saying it, we have to show it next week."

The Scotland defender admits their gameplan was rendered useless after their calamitous start, allowing Brugge to feel comfortable, but insists the side will "give everything" to turn the tie around next week.

He added: "I thought the game plan was good, but when we concede goals like we did, we are going to make anything difficult, and we did that in the first half.

"When we have had good European nights, Ibrox is a place where opposition teams don't feel comfortable and I think we gave them that comfort.

"So if you give teams that comfort, it is a lot easier for them to play out from the back and take that pass, that risk, be more relaxed, and we give them that luxury.

"And it's important when you have European games here that we get the crowd on our side, we make them uncomfortable, that is one of our biggest assets.

"We've got the goal back but we've got to go over there next week and give everything and see what happens."

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Former Rangers striker Billy Dodds: "Max Aarons has to show improvement. There's a few that have to be better if they're going to be successful at a club like Rangers.

"The recruitment of the 10 new players is meant to make things better and I think they will improve, but it remains to be seen if they're any better than the players who were here before."

BBC Scotland's chief sport writer Tom English: "I think Martin used the word brilliantly at least three times, they were 3-0 down after 20 minutes so there's nothing really brilliant about it.

"He did say the precursor to progress is pain, I think that's true but there's only so much pain you can suffer at clubs like this before serious questions are asked of you and your philosophy.

"He can't keep going like these. These kinds of press conferences are really going to anger people if he's going to continue to do them. He needs to back his words up with results."

"This wasn't brilliant, this was 3-0 after 20 minutes and a pretty bleak night."

Former Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor: "Why does it take going behind to get the enthusiasm and start going forward. Why can't Rangers do that from the start?

"It seems at the start everybody is a bit fearful of making a mistake. Rangers need to start on the front foot and make this place a fortress."

Former Rangers striker Steven Thompson: "Rangers have shown they can hurt teams, but unless they sort the defending, this will keep happening. I don't think they have it in them to go there and get a clean sheet and that's what they need."

Former Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield: "Rangers were off it and they were punished. Brugge came here to try and dampen the crowd, and next week when we go there we need to do the same."

Rangers face competition from one of Russell Martin's old clubs Swansea City for Villarreal's Cameroon Under-23 striker Etta Eyong. (Scottish Sun)

Rangers are set to miss out on Manchester City's Callum Doyle, with the England youth defender closing in on a £8m switch to Wrexham. (The Athletic)

Barry Ferguson would have targeted Dundee's Josh Mulligan and Lawrence Shankland of Heart of Midlothian if he had been retained as Rangers manager. (Scottish Sun)

Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen says he "knew where the spaces were" in the Rangers team before they played at Ibrox in the Champions League qualifier. (The Herald)

Real Betis defender Nobel Mendy's transfer to Rangers collapsed because of a problem during the player's medical rather than a financial issue. (AS via Scottish Sun)

Read the rest of Wednesday's gossip.

A disastrous opening 20 minutes left Rangers' hopes of Champions League qualification hanging by a thread, as a clinical Club Brugge side tormented the hosts inside a seething Ibrox.

Rangers fans, what did you make of your side's performance? Can you still qualify for the Champions League? Does Russell Martin have to change his tactics?

Give us your thoughts here.

Read the match report here.

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Rangers head coach Russell Martin: "We gave them a goal with the first kick of the game in our half.

"We concede a crazy goal and don't respond to it anywhere near as well enough as we should and then we concede a goal we shouldn't - we don't do our jobs from our set play, which is really frustrating.

"Then it becomes so difficult and we make decisions based on desperation, anxiety, jump around when we shouldn't.

"So the gameplan went out the window, and we needed a moment to calm down, refocus and reassess.

"The lads showed amazing resilience in the second half and the tie is still open and the players really feel that.

"Some of the guys have had a tough start here, and the way they played tonight they'll grow so much. Now we're going to be the ones chasing and hunting."

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Rangers goalscorer Danilo told Amazon Prime: "It's not the way that we wanted to [play], especially at the start of the game, but there is still all to play, it is still in our hands.

"We don't want to concede that kind of goal so early in the game, but it depends on us to change and do better. That's what we did do.

"It's not what you want to hear, you want the fans behind you and supporting you, but we have to get through it. The fans deserve better.

"I think the goal doesn't matter that much because we lost the game, but it gives us a bit of belief. We are Rangers, we always keep the fight, it doesn't matter what the score is.

"Hopefully, we can get the result."

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

I am not going to bother commenting on either game this week, or Alloa in the cup the other day, because the whole thing is immaterial at the minute.

What I really want to explore this week is Russell Martin and how he is trying to get this Rangers side to look.

I will start off by saying I like the tactical side of the game. It's something I'd like to continue to learn about and something that interests me. However, I am a layman and don't claim to be some sort of guru where tactics are concerned.

But I don't think the style Martin is trying to implement is ever going to work at Rangers, or in Scotland for that matter, until we see significant changes.

Firstly, he talks about the team running harder and being aggressive in and out of possession. We are yet to see any of this on the pitch.

Secondly, we do not look compact or solid when we don't have the ball. When we lose possession, there seems to be no plan, no counter-press, and no high press from the front either.

When we do turn the ball over, especially in the final third, our team has more holes than a bit of Swiss cheese. How is that a recipe for winning anything? It's kamikaze at worst, and naive at best.

When we do have the ball, chance creation for the central striker is basically nil. We move the ball at a slow pace and just recycle the ball constantly. There are risky passes on to break the lines at times, but they just are not being attempted.

Another issue I have with the system is the two centre-backs are being asked to make the play. I am not sure if this is by design or it just seems to happen.

I know it's early, I know we have 10 new players, I know it's going to take some time. But where is this fast, aggressive, attacking football we were told we would see?

It's tepid, one-paced, clumsy, disjointed and boring. I know I am not enjoying watching it so far.

You cannot sack the guy in August, but I would like to know what the board saw in Martin and his football to think it would be a success.

The only thing it's succeeding in doing right now is confusing and boring a lot of fans.

He said there would be teething problems early on. He wasn't kidding, was he?

Image source, Getty Images

With two weeks to go until the transfer window closes, Club Brugge have already brought in £70m this summer.

That has allowed Rangers' Champions League play-off opponents to splash about half of that figure on incomings, arriving from European heavyweights such as Inter Milan and Ajax.

Out of the £70m banked this window, £30m came from Ardon Jashari's sale to AC Milan, which is a new record sale for Belgian football.

"They have only been able to do that because they've been consistent Champions League performers," Belgian football journalist Scott Coyne tells the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

The Belgian club have qualified for Uefa's premier club competition in seven of the past nine seasons, reaching the last 16 just last term.

"This is a side that consistently perform at the top level in European football and know what it means to do that," Coyne adds.

"They understand the standards required to go out there and perform at this level."

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

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Rangers have already welcomed Club Brugge to Ibrox this summer - in a pre-season friendly back in July.

Russell Martin said neither side can take much from that 2-2 draw and he is right. Both teams will look markedly different at the same venue on Tuesday night.

A lot has been made of the step up in class the Belgian side will be from Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen, and that is undoubtedly true.

Nicky Hayen's side may have failed to defend their Belgian Pro League title, losing out by three points to Union Saint-Gilloise, but they reached the last 16 of last season's Champions League before losing 6-1 on aggregate to Aston Villa.

It is a feat they have managed twice in the past three seasons, having been in the group or league phase for seven of the past nine campaigns overall.

Their pedigree at this level is clear.

This summer, though, Brugge sold midfielder Ardon Jashari to AC Milan for around £25m, while left-back Maxim De Cuyper and winger Chemsdine Talbi joined Premier League sides Brighton and Sunderland in multi-million pound deals.

Arguably their star man, Greece international winger Christos Tzolis, has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace but is in the travelling party to Scotland.

That is a big boost for Brugge, as their wide men are key threats. Along with Tzolis down the left, Carlos Forbs caused havoc down the right in the last round against Salzburg and got on the scoresheet in the 3-2 home win.

The Portuguese speedster was on loan at Wolves last season and his directness is imposing, along with Tzolis and new signing Mamdou Diakhon from Stade Reims, who could make his debut.

Veteran midfielder and captain Hans Vanaken has come up with big moments in the Champions League regularly for Brugge and is good for a goal and an assist from midfield.

If Rangers give up 27 shots, like they did in Plzen, they will be punished by Brugge despite their lack of a clinical centre forward.

The Ibrox side have shown this season, and in previous campaigns, they can produce big nights at Ibrox, and they will need to do so again to reach the league phase.

This Brugge side are young and far from unbeatable. But to take a healthy advantage into the away leg - as Rangers have done in the past two rounds - it will take the best performance of Martin's short tenure.

Rangers have revived interest in Roma left-back Anass Salah-Eddine, with Spanish side Elche also keen on the 23-year-old. (Il Messaggero via Daily Record, external)

Rangers have dismissed an approach from Lille to take striker Hamza Igamane on loan. (Rangers Review - subscription required), external

Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Dor Turgeman, previously linked with Rangers, is close to joining New England Revolution in the MLS. (Luca Bendoni on X), external

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen says he has a "good connection" with Rangers counterpart Russell Martin. But any friendship is likely to be put on hold during their forthcoming Champions League play-off tie.

The sides meet at Ibrox on Tuesday night in the first leg with the return the following Wednesday in Belgium.

"I like Russell very much," Hayen, 45, told BBC Scotland. "I was in Haverfordwest County when he was in Swansea. We met each other because of Gary Richards (his former assistant at Haverfordwest who previously worked at Swansea)."

"I wanted to visit Swansea for two days. He allowed it. But we never found the right date. The year after, we arranged a friendly game between the two teams. The game was scheduled. Then I left the club to come to Brugge."

Hayen revealed the pair exchanged regular text messages, although they actually only met in person for the first time when Brugge played Rangers this summer in a friendly at Ibrox.

"We spoke a lot," said Hayen. "We texted a lot. We stayed always in touch. But of course, tomorrow this doesn't count.

"He's a great manager. If you see the results that he got in Swansea and Southampton. It's a nice step for him over here. Of course, there's a lot of pressure. But I'm sure that he will deal with it."

Club Brugge beat Salzburg to reach the play-off round. And, after making it to the round of 16 in last season's competition, Hayen is keen to progress to the league phase again this term.

"The team who is the best in keeping the ball, progressing, use the spaces, they will have a good chance to win the game," added Hayen.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rangers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard hopes to make "a dream come true" by helping his new club reach the Champions League.

The 23-year-old, who joined Rangers in the summer from Luton Town, admits "it's every player's dream to play in the Champions League from when they're small".

The Norwegian international was born in Liverpool and came from the Anfield club's youth academy before joining Wigan.

"Champions League nights mean everything to me personally," he said.

"If I can contribute in a Rangers shirt on big European nights, it would be a dream come true.

"Now I'm at Rangers to write my own story here and I'm really focused on the game against Club Brugge.

"If I could feature in this play-off game, it would be right up there for me."

Aasgaard made his debut for the Ibrox side from the bench in their win over Alloa in the League Cup on Saturday, after injury delayed the start to his Rangers career.

"It was a bit frustrating being injured for a few weeks but that just made me more hungry to get back," he added.

"I was delighted to finally get on the pitch.

"Last season I was injury free so I was really happy with that.

"Coming in here, I had a couple of weeks with the squad which I really enjoyed but then felt a niggle in a pre-season game which has kept me out for four weeks.

"Mentally, it was a bit tough at first, but I've had injuries before in my career so I know how to deal with it."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rangers head coach Russell Martin has been speaking to the media ahead of his side's Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge.

Here are the main points:

• Martin says the two legs against Brugge are "massive" for the club and knows qualifying for Champions League "would help us a lot...not just financially but what it would do for the players and their belief."

• The Rangers boss stresses that he's "enjoying" his time as Rangers manager, despite concerned texts from his Mum after reading some negative messages boards - "I keep telling my mum, don't worry about it. It's all good. I'm enjoying it."

• On facing Brugge, Martin believes their meeting in pre-season will have "little bearing" on these games, as both teams are quite different.

• The former Southampton boss believes his players can perform with the same level of intensity, energy and courage with the ball as they did against Viktoria Plzen.

• Team news: Cyriel Dessers is "touch and go" but if he is not fit tomorrow, we expect him to be back for the weekend and next week while new signing Jayden Meghoma is hopefully going to be registered to play, although "they'll wait and see if he's ready to go."

• Nicolas Raskin will be in the squad for tomorrow, Martin confirms he was rested at the weekend and feels there is "no truth" in rumours of him wanting to leave.

Rangers fans, we asked for your thoughts on the arrival of Jayden Meghoma on loan from Brentford.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Peter: Where does it end? Another young, inexperienced 19-year-old boy. It is mind blowing. Nothing against the boy whatsoever but does he know what's ahead of him this season in Europe and at home? I would like to think we're going to sign experienced players soon.

David: Another loan but that's our world nowadays. This one much needed. The left side of defence is our biggest weakness. We've been wide open here for a couple of seasons now. Here's hoping we've finally got a left-back who can tighten up our defence. As ever with us, all a bit last minute with crucial games lining up over the next fortnight.

Robert: All these players Russell Martin has worked with in the past is a major concern to me. He hasn't exactly been a success as a manager in the past. And what I've seen so far isn't going to be in the future.

Rab: Delighted we have signed a young, athletic, experienced left-back. A position we badly needed to fill and young Jayden fits the bill.

Brian: I'm not convinced by this recruitment of youth and loan deals as I don't believe Russell Martin has time on his side to exploit their potential. I would rather see seasoned players oven-ready for the rigours of Scottish football. The fans are not convinced by him as the manager so their patience is paper thin already. He will not be given time as the atmosphere will turn toxic on his tenure when his team stumble further behind in the title race .

Steven: Another player with 'potential'. It's not potential we need. It's experience and a proven record of playing at a high level. With any luck he's not as bad as our other two loan defenders. Even if this lad is good, he's got other guys around him that can't defend, so not sure what difference this will make. I've seen nothing so far to give me any confidence in our loan defensive signings, unfortunately.

Calum: Going from an occasional starter at Brentford to play in Champions League Qualifier is a massive jump, high risk and seems desperate.