Rangers star facing brutal axe vs Livingston as damning Genk stats emerge
Rangers suffered a 1-0 defeat to Genk at Ibrox in their first Europa League game of the season.
Former Celtic striker Oh Hyeung-gyu had a chaotic first half before eventually breaking away to finish past Jack Butland and put further pressure on Russell Martin.
Mohamed Diomande’s first-half red card didn’t do Martin any favors, yet the Gers’ defense continued to look disorganized throughout the match, while the attacking play lacked invention and penetration.
Rangers travel to Livingston on Sunday, where a loss could be disastrous for Martin’s future at the club.
Youssef Chermiti must be dropped vs Livingston
Youssef Chermiti’s £10m move to Rangers has been heavily criticised due to the fee the Bears paid.
Chermiti made his first Rangers start versus Genk, yet he failed to impact the game in any way.
This comes off the back of Bojan Miovski netting his first goal for the club against Hibs, and many eyebrows were raised when the 21-year-old was given the nod to start.
Despite a couple of promising touches at the start of the second half, Chermiti was on the periphery for much of the match.
| Minutes played | 80 |
| Touches | 25 |
| Shots | 0 |
| Pass accuracy (percentage) | 67 |
| Duels won (percentage) | 33 |
| Possession lost | 10 |
Chermiti’s wait for a senior goal goes on, with the striker not scoring once in the two years he spent at Everton.
The Portuguese striker must be given more time throughout the season to show his worth, but Thursday’s performance showed that he is not ready to lead Rangers’ frontline at this moment in time.
- Read more: Tom English hits out at ’embarrassing’ Rangers and Russell Martin coverage live from Ibrox
Bojan Miovski must start in the Europa League
Miovski has been recognised as the starting striker under Martin, and Chermiti has an opportunity to stake his claim against Genk.
However, what was clear is that Miovski can offer the Light Blues so much more, both in and out of possession.
The North Macedonia international was a goal machine during his spell with Aberdeen, and he knows what it takes to be successful in Scotland.
Ibrox is a daunting place for most Rangers players at the moment, yet Miovski has been one of the few that hasn’t crumbled under any pressure since moving from Girona at the end of August.
Chermiti’s performance against Genk has reinforced the notion that Miovski should be starting all of Rangers’ important matches in both the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League.
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