Rangers at risk of something not witnessed since Graeme Souness days this weekend
Rangers are back in action this weekend, and need to get back to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership.
Russell Martin recorded a victory in the Champions League to ease the early pressure on him following his arrival at Ibrox.
Rangers fell to a disappointing draw in their first league game, but this led Martin to make some ruthless changes, which he was praised for.
However, nothing short of a win against Dundee FC at Ibrox will be acceptable, as a long-standing record is at stake.
Rangers in danger of breaking 35-year record
Rangers’ draw to Motherwell was disappointing enough, as it made it three consecutive opening days without a win, and three points in the Scottish Premiership clash are a must.
If Rangers do not win against Dundee, they will end a 35-year streak in the competition, dating back to when Graeme Souness was manager.
- Rangers have won 25 of their 31 meetings with Dundee, losing just twice.
- Rangers last lost to Dundee in November 2017.
As per Opta, Rangers have not failed to win their opening two matches in a Scottish Premiership season since the 1989-90 season, when Souness’ side lost both their games, against St Mirren and Hibernian.
| Played | 31 |
| Wins | 25 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Losses | 2 |
A 1-1 draw with Motherwell on the opening day has put Rangers in this position, with the dropped points coming from a late equaliser, and Martin will be determined not to break this record in his first few months as Rangers manager.
Martin should maintain ruthless Rangers stance
Barry Ferguson has praised Martin for his decision to drop several key players after the Motherwell draw, and he should not relent and bring them back in.
Nicolas Raskin and captain James Tavernier were dropped for the Champions League game, and Lyall Cameron was outstanding as he replaced the Belgian.
Max Aarons delivered an improved performance on his natural side, but the impact of Martin’s statement perhaps had the biggest impact.
If Rangers stick with the same team and blow Dundee away at Ibrox, it would truly get the fans behind Martin, but a failure to win would end a 35-year streak, and cause fury among the fanbase as a result.
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.