Barry Ferguson baffled by Nicolas Raskin and Russell Martin drama – ‘I genuinely couldn’t understand’
Barry Ferguson has revealed his bemusement at the fallout between Nicolas Raskin and former Rangers boss Russell Martin.
The Belgian midfielder has been one of the Gers’ best players this season, but he was not a part of Martin’s plans at the start of the season.
He featured just 14 times under the Englishman after a dramatic dispute between the two parties, and it looked like he would leave Ibrox.
Luckily, the former Southampton manager was dismissed from his post in October after a disastrous reign, and Raskin stayed put.
Rangers are now reaping the benefits, as he transformed into a world-class operator for Danny Rohl‘s side.
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What did Ferguson say about Raskin/Martin beef at Rangers?
Ferguson has previously called the decision to bomb Raskin out of Rangers squad as “crazy”, and he has now gone into further detail.
He revealed that while the 11-cap international is not the easiest player to deal with, he could not understand and was baffled by the call from Martin.
Speaking to the Daily Record on 17 April, he said: “Nico’s a brilliant boy, but he is someone who will question you at times, and I like that.
“It showed me that he wanted to learn. He was interested in getting the answers.
“Obviously, that became an issue when I left and the next manager took over and Nico has spoken about that this week.
“All coaches have their own way of playing and that’s fine, but what took me aback was the realisation that Nico probably wasn’t going to be a part of his plans going forward, I genuinely couldn’t understand what he was thinking.
| Raskin’s stats under Ferguson | 2024-25 season |
| Matches | 14 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Minutes played | 1,271 |
“Look, was Nico a teacher’s pet or was he easy to work with at times? No, he wasn’t, and, yes, there were times when I wanted to kick him up the backside!
“but I loved working with him and I could see there was so much more to get out of him, deep down he’s a brilliant kid with brilliant attributes and I didn’t like seeing how he was being treated earlier this season.”
How has Raskin performed this season?
Rohl has brought the best out of Raskin since he replaced Martin in the dugout, and the midfielder will play a key role in the title chase.
He has featured a total of 33 times under the German, with five goals and five assists in those matches, showing that he has gotten the best out of him in a more advanced role.
Raskin averages 1.5 shots per game, 1.4 key passes per game and loses possession 12.3 per game, according to Sofascore.
| Raskin’s stats this season | Scottish Premiership |
| Matches | 31 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 7 |
| Key passes per game | 1.4 |
| Tackles per game | 2.5 |
| Ball recoveries per game | 4.7 |
| Ground duels won | 55% |
| Aerial duels won | 53% |
He also helps out defensively, making 2.5 tackles per game, 4.7 ball recoveries per game and 1.9 clearances per game.
In terms of duels, he wins 55% of his battles on the ground and 53% in the air, showing that he is not afraid to fight for the ball.
His development under Rohl has been magnificent and makes Martin’s idea to throw him out of the squad look even more ridiculous.
Thankfully, the Belgium star stayed put, and the manager who nearly ended his Light Blues career was given the boot, as it would have been dismal if it were the other way around.
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