Russell Martin already accused of taking ‘big risk’ on Rangers star
Russell Martin has been chopping and changing his Rangers team a lot in the early weeks of the season.
The Light Blues have dropped points in both of their league games and given themselves a mountain to climb in the Champions League, after losing 3-1 in the first leg of their playoff match against Club Brugge.
Martin has urged Rangers fans to be patient, suggesting that ‘pain’ will be inevitable at the start of his tenure.
However, some supporters are already taking issue with the starting XI that the new boss is fielding.
This article includes exclusive comment from former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson.
Derek Ferguson discusses ‘risk’ of dropping Nico Raskin
Martin’s use of midfield star Nicolas Raskin has grown to become a significant talking point.
Raskin was linked with a big-money sale earlier in the summer. Some European clubs were believed to be willing to pay around £25million for the Belgian.
He remains one of the better players at Ibrox for now. Even so, the 24-year-old has dropped in and out of the team in the early fixtures.
Martin has hinted that the transfer rumours surrounding Raskin might have something to do with that.
Raskin was most recently dropped to the bench against Dundee, a match which required a controversial last-minute penalty to save a point.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News, former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson suggested it was a brave move to leave his star midfielder out of the team.
He said: “The thing is, good players come with an ego, and that’s what a manager needs to be able to deal with.
“From a player’s point of view, he may feel he can be better used by doing other things, which is fine to question, but yes it was a surprise that Martin dropped basically his best player.”
“It’s a big risk when you do that. It’s not the best way to go.”
Russell Martin needs to discover his best starting XI to improve Rangers form
Martin has been making consistent changes to his Rangers starting XI, and there are several explanations for that.
The former Southampton boss may not yet know his best team, having only been appointed this summer.
He might be keen to rotate players due to the demanding schedule caused by the Champions League qualifiers. There’s a chance that some of his changes are purely tactical.
However, if he wants to improve Rangers’ form, he’ll need to decide on a consistent starting XI.
| Date | Competition | Opponent |
| 24 August | Scottish Premiership | St Mirren (H) |
| 27 August | Champions League playoff | Club Brugge (A) |
| 31 August | Scottish Premiership | Celtic (H) |
It can disrupt a team’s progress when a manager rotates his players too often, especially in defence.
Martin needs to keep the faith in some players and allow them to gain momentum as the season continues.
That’s not to say that certain stars should be ‘undroppable’, but Rangers are already dropping unnecessary points in the league, and Martin’s squad rotation could have something to do with that.
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