Steven Gerrard must give Russell Martin signing the boot already as Rangers return nears
Steven Gerrard is the favourite to become the next Rangers manager following the sacking of Russell Martin.
Gerrard is holding talks with Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe in London this week to discuss a potential return to Ibrox.
Things will be very different for the 45-year-old this time round, with the Rangers squad struggling with a lack of confidence after a tough few months under Martin.
One signing has particularly struggled to impress Bears supporters since his arrival in the summer.
Steven Gerrard must get rid of Emmanuel Fernandez
Kevin Thelwell has received brutal criticism for some of the unproven players that have been brought in for astronomical fees.
Emmanuel Fernandez’s £3.5million move to Rangers was one that raised eyebrows at the time, and his performances this season have raised question marks over his future already.
Having joined from League One side Peterborough, the 23-year-old has experienced a huge jump in quality upon his arrival at Rangers.
| Pass accuracy (percentage) | 85.4 |
| Duels won (percentage) | 60.1 |
| Aerial duels won (percentage) | 64.2 |
| Tackles | 33 |
| Interceptions | 24 |
Whilst Fernandez played well last season, these are hardly the numbers of someone who is going to seamlessly adapt to life at Ibrox.
More importantly, this certainly does not represent a centre-back costing £3.5m when playing at a much inferior level.
Fernandez was awful against St. Mirren on 24 August, with Chris Sutton questioning his positioning for Jonah Ayunga’s goal in the 1-1 draw.
He was then swiftly dropped, with fellow summer signings Nasser Djiga and Derek Cornelius higher in the pecking order.
Fernandez has failed to deliver for Rangers, and Gerrard will be looking for strong leaders in defence who can perform well under pressure.
Gerrard should get rid of Fernandez as soon as he can, yet there is currently no team in the world that will want to buy him, given how much Thelwell paid for him in July.
What next for Emmanuel Fernandez?
Fernandez could still become a top player, and yet there is no evidence to suggest that this could happen in the near future with Rangers.
At every club he has managed, Gerrard has relied heavily on senior figures in the spine of the team, and that’s something that Fernandez can’t provide at all.
He is in desperate need of game time if he wants to develop, with his minutes being limited during Martin’s last month in charge.
- Fernandez has featured in just two of Rangers’ 17 matches this season
- He has not been included in a matchday squad since 31 August
- Fernandez scored his first Rangers goal in the 4-2 win over Alloa Athletic in the Premier Sports Cup
A loan to a Championship club seems to be the most realistic solution, with a permanent exit looking extremely unlikely.
If Rangers can, they should try to cash in on him as soon as possible, yet six months playing regular football in England’s second tier could boost his value for next summer.
Either way, Fernandez is the perfect example of Thelwell’s failures over the summer, and should Gerrard be appointed, he must look to move him on quickly.
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