Russell Martin must consider these three changes vs Hibernian as Rangers sack looms
Russell Martin’s tenure as Rangers manager may be coming to an end soon.
Rangers were beaten at home by Hearts on Saturday to increase the pressure on Martin, whose team sit tenth in the Scottish Premiership table.
Fans are also frustrated with the Union Bears having released a statement calling for Martin’s immediate removal as manager, alongside CEO Patrick Stewart.
Rangers face Hibs in the Premier Sports Cup at Ibrox on Saturday, where anything but a win could see Martin sacked.
Martin’s tactics were also criticised, and going into Saturday’s game, he has to try to change things up to try to get a result.
Derek Cornelius to provide defensive stability
Derek Cornelius came off the bench against Hearts to make his Rangers debut, in place of the awful Nasser Djiga, and could start against Hibs.
The Canadian defender was signed on loan to help shore up the defence, which has been really poor to start the season.
Cornelius is an established international who can help bring the physicality and defensive nous to a Rangers backline which has really struggled.
- Cornelius was signed on a season-long loan from Marseille
- He made 21 appearances in Ligue 1 last season
- The defender has 37 caps for Canada, scoring one goal.
He is also a threat from set pieces and found the back of the net against Wales in the latest international break, scoring a stunning free-kick.
Nicolas Raskin must be brought back into the fold
Nicolas Raskin’s feud with Martin has been well publicised, but the two must put that behind them to help the team.
The Belgian has been left out of the squad in the last two games against Celtic and Hearts, respectively, and his absence was severely felt.
| 2024/2025 Scottish Premiership Stats | Nicolas Raskin |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 10 |
| Minutes played | 2,628 |
Raskin is undoubtedly one of the Rangers’ best players and must be reintegrated back into the squad. The impact he has on the side is immeasurable, and Rangers fans would love to have him back involved.
Raskin should come into the side in place of Mohamed Diomande, who had a disastrous performance against Hearts.
Youssef Chermiti could add different dimension to Rangers attack
Youssef Chermiti has yet to really feature in a Rangers shirt since his big-money move in the summer.
Chermiti was signed from Everton for £10 million in what was seen as a real gamble by the Rangers board.
- Chermiti came through the Sporting academy in Portugal
- He moved to Everton for £14 million in 2023
- Chermiti has played at every underage level for Portugal up to U-21
While he is still quite raw, the Portuguese forward’s pace and agility could help Rangers stretch the Hibs defence. His instincts inside the 18-yard box are also something to look for.
The Ibrox crowd will want to see some sort of attacking spark, and Chermiti can link up with fellow summer signing Bojan Miovski to provide it.
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