Russell Martin loses Ibrox crowd, Cyriel Dessers looks done – Three things learned vs Dundee
Rangers stumbled to a dismal 1-1 draw with Dundee in their second league game of the season, and it was a foul mood at Ibrox.
The home side went a goal down and a man down as Nasser Djiga was handed a straight red card, but a last-minute penalty salvaged a point.
James Tavernier came off the bench to score the penalty, and Cyriel Dessers thought he won it in the final minute, but his goal was disallowed for offside.
It was a woeful performance from Rangers and they are falling further behind in the league, and there were plenty of talking points from the draw.
Fans turn against Russell Martin
Martin was under huge pressure from the moment he arrived at Rangers, but even critics of his appointment may not have expected it to turn sour so quickly.
- Rangers have now failed to win their opening two league games for the first time since the 1989-1990 season under Graeme Souness.
- Many criticised the appointment of Martin when he arrived at Ibrox earlier this summer.
Boos rang around Ibrox when Martin withdrew Lyall Cameron, and there was a flashpoint as he brought on the much-maligned Kieran Dowell.
A late equaliser was not enough to satisfy the fans who were still in the stadium, and they made their feelings towards Martin known at full time.
Losing the support of the Ibrox crowd is a big concern for Martin, and will only put him under extra pressure in the coming weeks.
Dessers needs to leave Rangers
Despite a strong performance in the Champions League, Dessers put in a woeful display against Dundee, contributing very little in build up play.
Aside from his disallowed goal, he offered very little threat through the middle in 90 minutes, and it is abundantly clear that Rangers need a new striker.
| Stat | Dessers |
| Pass accuracy | 66% |
| Duels won | 1/6 |
| Shots (excluding disallowed goal) | 0 |
There has been transfer interest in Dessers, and the club must now seek out a replacement and sell him, with his display doing nothing to show that he has a future at Rangers.
Djeidi Gassama shines again
The only positive of the game was that Djeidi Gassama continued his fine start at Rangers with another terrific display.
Gassama threatened with his speed and dribbling, and won the penalty which led to the equaliser after an excellent run.
The 21-year-old carried his more senior teammates, and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, as one of the only players who deserves any credit from the match overall.
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