Rangers told exactly what type of player to target next after Martin rant
Rangers enjoyed a huge recruitment drive this summer, but still find themselves two points behind Celtic after the first round of Scottish Premiership fixtures.
Several new signings were involved in the trip to Motherwell on Saturday, and things were going well as Rangers led 1-0 through James Tavernier’s header.
However, Motherwell stunned the away side with a late equaliser, leaving them barely any time to reply.
Rangers now find themselves playing catch-up to Celtic already, as their rivals secured a 1-0 victory over St Mirren.
This article includes exclusive comment from former Rangers defender David Robertson.
Rangers urged to sign more British players
The general feeling around Ibrox is that more players will be drafted in before the transfer window ends.
Indeed, Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises want to give Martin the best possible chance of winning domestic silverware this season.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News, former Rangers defender David Robertson urged Martin to focus on signing British players who would understand the challenges of playing an Old Firm team.
He said: “When you go to the Dens Parks and the Tannadices, the stadiums haven’t changed since I played years ago. That’s where you need those guys to roll up their sleeves and fight. It’s not just all about playing the greatest game.
“Other than the Old Firm, maybe Aberdeen and Hearts, the other teams just sit and defend, so you’ve got to try and break them down. They make it difficult for you, and it takes a special type of player to do that.
“I’ve been in situations before where they leave the grass long, they keep it bare, they do all sorts of games to try and affect you, and you’ve just got to be mentally tough enough to do that.
“I think possibly in the previous couple of years, I don’t think the players have been that type, but I think guys like Joe Rothwell, they’ve obviously got an idea of the British game, and how sometimes you’ve just got to win games regardless of how you play.
“In my time, Walter Smith brought in British players who know what it is to play for Rangers, what it is to play against Rangers, and how the stadium can be intimidating, and how difficult away games are.
“Hopefully, down the line, that’ll happen, he’ll bring in some Scottish players, but they’ve got to be good enough.”
Rangers boss Russell Martin bemoans his team’s lack of fight
Russell Martin’s comments after the Motherwell game suggested that Robertson might be onto something.
The new Rangers boss admitted that:
- Motherwell outfought his team.
- They were “braver”
- They ran more.
- His team tend to “pick and choose when they want to play football properly”.
He also suggested that some players want to “do their own thing” when things weren’t going well.
Martin said that this was a problem that Rangers have developed over the few years, and that he’d need to see who was willing to put in the hard yards.
It seems then that he’ll be targeting players with a reputation for having a strong work ethic.
Robertson singled out Rothwell and Nasser Djiga as new signings who have settled well into the team, but suggested they may still be a bit short up front, naming Jamie Vardy as a signing who could transform the team.
Sign up for the Ibrox News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Rangers news sent straight to your phone.