Rangers

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.

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Wolves, Aston Villa, Brighton and Fiorentina are all keen on a move for Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin, but the Ibrox outfit would demand £25m for the Belgium international. (Glasgow Times), external

Lille could reignite their interest in Rangers striker Hamza Igamane after manager Bruno Genesio expressed his frustration over a lack of summer signings. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Monday's Scottish gossip.

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Brentford left-back Jayden Meghoma says he's "hungry and excited" to get going at Rangers after joining the Ibrox club on loan.

The 19-year-old links up with Russell Martin's side having spent the second half of last term on loan at Preston North End.

The defender previously had spells with Tottenham and Southampton and was handed his senior debut for the Saints by Rangers boss Martin in 2023.

"I am very excited to be here," Meghoma said.

"It is a fantastic club, and I know a lot about the rich history of Rangers. When the deal was presented to me, I thought straight away that it would be a fantastic opportunity for myself and my family.

"The main thing for me is getting results. Rangers is a big club, and I am ready, I am hungry and excited to get going."

Boss Martin says Meghoma is a player with "potential, real athleticism and a great attitude".

Rangers fans, what do you make of the signing? Are you pleased to bolster your defence?

Rangers now have four loan signings, including three in defence - does that concern you?

Have your say on Meghoma signing

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Rangers winger Mikey Moore has declared his ambition to become "one of the best players in the world".

The 18-year-old Tottenham loanee made his Rangers debut in the Premier Sports Cup win over Alloa and is desperate for action against Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off first leg on Tuesday.

"It's a massive game, as every game is when you play for Rangers," Moore said. "I'm excited for it. I seen some of the games in the earlier rounds and it's been good to qualify [for the play-off].

"So it's a massive opportunity for me and all the boys. I can't wait to go.

"I've had some good experiences and I'm ready to go and show more, really. I want to make more of an impact on a European stage, so I'm ready to play.

"I want to just become a better player really, so I think there's massive opportunities at this club.

"I just want to play as many games as possible, score as many goals and excite as many people as I can.

"I want to play in the biggest competitions and I want to be one of the best players in the world, hopefully.

"I've signed a new contract at Spurs but at the minute I'm focused on playing here. I'm just buzzing to play in some massive games at this football club."

We asked for your views on Rangers' 4-2 win against Alloa in the Premier Sports Cup.

Here's what some of you said:

Martin: We got the win which is the first thing you have to do, well done on that. Some good stuff played and good to see the new players getting a runout but again the defence is shambolic. We can't defend like this on Tuesday, come clear your lines, back to basics and stop making schoolboy errors. Onwards and upwards. Things can only get better l hope.

Paul: If Rangers are struggling to break the low block of Alloa Athletic it doesn't augur well for the far superior teams they are about to play. The tactics being employed are just not cutting it.

Steve: Once again, poor. The defence is a nightmare and I dread the first Old Firm match, Reo Hatate is going to love these guys! Too much tiki-taka football and we are not good enough. We need to be faster going forward and more direct.

George: Another poor performance. A shambles at the back, moving the ball too slow, no idea what to do.

Bill: Very worrying signs at the back and up front, the season will be an uphill struggle unless we get proven talent that can steady the ship and offer leadership. At the moment there are glaring deficiencies and you just have to look at the squad to know what needs strengthened. The season could be over in a matter of weeks, the board and recruitment staff are letting the manager down.

David: Yet another largely ineffective performance. It would be very unfair on Alloa to claim they were routinely dispatched. I worry our glaring defensive weaknesses and impotent attack are going to be exposed in some, if not all, of our next four games. Fallout could be brutal.

Rangers will not be signing Real Betis defender Nobel Mendy, 21, imminently after talks collapsed. (Record), external

Nicola Docherty backs new Rangers women head coach Leanne Crichton to change the mentality at the SWPL side. (Herald - subscription required), external

Former Rangers midfielder Thomas Buffel urges fellow Belgian Nico Raskin to ignore transfer speculation and focus on his Ibrox career. (Record), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

Much-changed Rangers delivered an unconvincing performance as they beat League 1 Alloa Athletic to reach the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup.

Read the match report.

Have your say on the match.

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Rangers head coach Russell Martin tells BBC Scotland: "We scored four goals, should score more but I'm pleased we got guys on the pitch for the first time properly here.

"With 10 changes, it's not going to look as fluid and clean as it should, but so many of them will be in a better place than they were at the start.

"I'm pleased for Emmanuel Fernandez. He has a lot of potential and good attributes. It's a good start for him.

"There's work to do in every department. I don't think we learned anything new there. Credit to Alloa - they were great. We'll keep striving to improve."

On potential additions between now and Tuesday's first leg against Club Brugge: "The team will obviously look very different on Tuesday. We're happy with the players we've got, but I think we'll add before then.

"Me and Ridvan Yilmaz understand the situation. We'll have to wait and see what happens on that.

"Today is frustrating at times, but we're through and guys got valuable minutes. It's my job to always want more and demand more.

"We want to win trophies this season and this is a great chance for us to do so."

Rangers are bracing themselves to receive offers for 24-year-old midfielder Nicolas Raskin late in the summer transfer window amid interest from a number of Premier League clubs. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Rangers, Girona and Real Betis are interested in Nottingham Forest left-back Alex Moreno, with the La Liga outfit making the 32-year-old their priority and the Spaniard open to a return to his former club. (Santi Aouna), external

Former Hearts player Ryan Stevenson fears Rangers may sack head coach Russell Martin and go after Tynecastle boss Derek McInnes. (Daily Record), external

Motherwell are considering an approach to bring 18-year-old midfielder Bailey Rice back to the club from Scottish Premiership rivals Rangers. (Daily Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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Rangers defender Robbie Fraser has joined Championship side Dunfermline Athletic for an undisclosed fee.

Academy graduate Fraser, 22, made his Rangers debut in May 2024 and featured four times for the club last season.

He spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Livingston, helping David Martindale's win promotion back to the top flight, and the Scotland Under-21 international has now signed a three-year deal with Neil Lennon's Pars.

"I'm at a stage in my career where I've come out of that younger phase. I want to get games, I want to show that I'm more than capable of holding my own," Fraser said.