‘Rangers Champions League hopes in tatters’ as Kris Boyd lets rip at Russell Martin’s men
Rangers are at serious risk of crashing out of the Champions League after a 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge on Tuesday night.
Goals from Romeo Vermant, Jorne Spileers and Brandon Mechele dug a significant hole for the Gers in a disastrous opening 20 minutes that could seal their fate in the Champions League.
Danilo pulled a goal back for Rangers shortly after half-time, but it didn’t little to add any positivity to what was a woeful night at Ibrox.
Russell Martin’s side have endured a stuttering start to their league campaign, but they hit a new low this time around.
Kris Boyd: Rangers were lucky to escape at 3-1
Rangers’ opening 20 minutes at Ibrox was nothing short of a catastrophe, as they made mistake after mistake to gift-wrap their visitors a sizeable lead in the tie.
The worst of those errors undoubtedly came from Nasser Djiga who switched off following a long ball over the top to allow Vermant to race through and lift the ball over Jack Butland for the opening goal.
The Gers slowly improved as the game wore on, but they were unable to eat into their deficit any further, which leaves them with a mountain to climb in Brugge in the second leg.
They had been potentially just one round away from reaching the all-important league phase of the competition, but they now find themselves staring down the barrel of elimination in the play-off round.
Former Gers striker Kris Boyd believes that their hopes of staying in the Champions League are hanging by a thread, with Rangers “lucky” to have escaped with just a 3-1 defeat.
“It’s the same mistakes that seem to be happening time after time for Rangers,” Boyd said during Sky Sports News’ live coverage of the game.
“People not doing their jobs, looking after themselves individually and not playing as a team collectively.
“You have to be resolute and hard to beat and I don’t think this Rangers team have got that.
“They’re so open, expansive and easy to play through. They were lucky to get away at 3-1 tonight.
“Rangers’ European dreams are in tatters tonight, that’s for sure.”
- Read More: Kris Boyd outraged by ’embarrassing’ Rangers scenes in Champions League loss v Club Brugge
Russell Martin already on the brink at Ibrox
Martin’s appointment at Rangers was a controversial one to say the least, and the pressure is now rapidly mounting on the 39-year-old.
- Rangers have failed to win either of their opening two league games for the first time in 36 years
- They have won just three of their seven competitive games so far this season
- Martin has just two games to go until his first Old Firm Derby
The Gers have gone winless in their opening two league games for the first time in 36 years, and the debacle against Brugge felt like yet another new low since the former Southampton boss has stepped into the dugout.
The Ibrox outfit have largely been hauled through the early rounds of Champions League qualifying by players producing individual moments of quality, and a team of Brugge’s level found it easy to expose their many flaws.
Martin now faces a huge Premiership clash at St Mirren on Saturday, and it is no exaggeration to say that his job could already be on the line.
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.