Kris Boyd moots knock-on effect of Nicolas Raskin absence on Rangers teammate
Russell Martin may be shooting themselves in the foot by excluding Nicolas Rasking from the Rangers starting lineup.
The 24-year-old appears to have fallen out with the Scottish manager after being left out of the squad to face Celtic at Ibrox in the Old Firm derby on 31 August.
Raskin is arguably the best midfielder in the William Hill Premiership, but he may need to come to a compromise with the 39-year-old head coach in G51 after returning from international break.
Looking at the Belgium international’s performance against Kazakhstan in the 6-0 win on 7 September, there’s no doubt his absence is being felt at Ibrox.
Mohamed Diomande struggles at Rangers
Mohamed Diomande hasn’t been his usual self at the Gers this season, Kris Boyd says.
The former Scotland international feels the Cote d’Ivoire star’s form has dipped at Ibrox in the current campaign, and that may be down to his partnership with Raskin being affected.
Boyd has been impressed by the two midfielders’ partnership in the Glaswegian outfit’s engine room, but there seems to have been a drop-off in their performances.
Speaking on Go Ballistic on 8 September, the Scotsman said: “Something that’s getting overshadowed and overlooked in the whole thing — Diomande’s performances have dropped as well. But is that because of the breakdown? I thought they worked really well together. I thought they understood each other’s game. There has been a drop-off there.”
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Nicolas Raskin performance for Belgium vs Kazakhstan in numbers
Raskin’s display for Belgium should be a lesson for Martin to use the midfielder in his best position at the Gers.
The Scottish manager has experimented with the ex-Standard Liege star’s position at the Light Blues, playing him on the left in the middle of the park at times.
While the Belgian ace has the ability to contribute in the final third, his best football at the Glaswegian outfit has arguably come in the number six role.
Raskin scored his first goal for Belgium against Kazakhstan, showcasing his best form away from Rangers.
| Nicolas Raskin vs Kazakhstan | Statistics |
| Minutes played | 71 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Accurate passes (percentage) | 57/64 (89%) |
| Passes into final third | 13 |
| Defensive contributions | 5 |
| Tackles | 4 |
| Ground duels won (percentage) | 5/7 (71%) |
| Aerial duels won (percentage) | 3/5 (60%) |
The midfielder played alongside Youri Tielemans and Kevin De Bruyne in the engine room and was the deepest-lying of the trio on most occasions, making five defensive contributions.
Having won four tackles and the majority of his duels, Martin may be wasting the Belgian star in G51 by wanting him to play further up front.
With 13 passes into the final third for the Red Devils in the 6-0 victory, Raskin has shown he’s capable of pulling the strings in the middle of the park, and the Ibrox faithful will hope he returns to Scotland in high spirits.
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