logo
Rangers need to be more like Celtic when it comes to Nico Raskin, either build around him or FLOG him now says Gers icon

Rangers need to be more like Celtic when it comes to Nico Raskin, either build around him or FLOG him now says Gers icon

Scottish Sun07-05-2025
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
PETER LOVENKRANDS says it's time to make Nico Raskin Rangers' linchpin — or flog him.
The Belgian has shone despite a season of disappointment for Gers.
3
Nico Raskin heads home to score and celebrates but VAR disallows his goal
Credit: Willie Vass
3
Peter Lovenkrands celebrates a famous Champions League goal in Villarreal
Credit: Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow
But ex-Ibrox striker Lovenkrands reckons his old club have made a mess of not selling their best players when their stock is rising and reckons they either need to decide to build a new-look team around the 24-year-old — or sell him on for a hefty profit.
The Dane said: 'Raskin is definitely Rangers' player of the year.
'But they're not like Celtic, who've had good players, but as soon as they've done well they sell and make money.
'They've done this for years and are great at it.
'When we've had good players and they're doing great, we haven't sold.
'Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, they've not got the money for them when they probably should've.
'For me, that's the problem right now.
'You need to look at the bigger picture of Raskin.
'Do you sell him now, or are you going to try to build around him?
'He is a young boy, but you also need money. So where are you going to get the money from if you don't sell him?'
Kris Boyd explains why Celtic striker Adam Idah and Rangers' Cyriel Dessers are similar players
Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises are close to a takeover which will bring sweeping change at Ibrox.
A new boss is their priority but Lovenkrands insists there needs to be a major improvement in the squad.
He said: 'A lot of players are going to go and you need new ones in — they must challenge Celtic next season.
'There has to be a step up. but with fair play rules, it won't be easy.'
3
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mulligan's late strike was one to savour
Mulligan's late strike was one to savour

Edinburgh Reporter

time44 minutes ago

  • Edinburgh Reporter

Mulligan's late strike was one to savour

Josh Mulligan, step forward. You provided one of the few pieces of real quality in an eminently forgettable Premier Sports Cup clash between Hibs and Livingston at the Home of the Set Fare Arena. The 22-year-old picked up the ball on the left just outside the Livi box and smashed the ball into the net. A superb strike from the versatile player who only joined Hibs in the close season. He decided not to renew his contract with his home town club and moved south to the Capital. He now looks like a quality capture by Hibs boss David Gray who described the performance of his men as 'very professional'. They now move forward to a mouth-watering, quarter-final tie at Ibrox against Rangers but first they continue their European odyssey with a midweek home clash with Legia Warszawa on Thursday (20.00) in the Europa Conference League, play-off, first-leg. For the visit to West Lothian, the Easter Road side made six changes from the squad which accounted for Partizan Belgrade on aggregate on a heady night last week, resting standout striker, Kieron Bowie. If that was a bruising, energy-sapping battle, it went into extra time, then this was round two, a highly-physical clash with the West Lothian club. It will have left scars. Bodies landed on the deck regularly, leading to staccato play. The game lacking any fluency and cried out for somebody to take charge of the ball and start distributing passes around the newly-laid, artificial pitch. Nobody, sadly, put their head above the parapet, unfortunately, for the 4, 696 fans at the sun-kissed arena where the thermometer registered over 20c. Sadly, this was not, in my humble opinion, a good advert for Scottish football. Grey felt his men had control of the game. They had, but there were precious few occasions when Livingston goalkeeper, Jerome Prior, was really tested. Busy Josh Campbell did fire a vicious left-foot shot from the left of the box which Prior dealt with at full stretch in the first period, but robust challenges prevented constructive play with Mo Sylla and Campbell clashing on several occasions in midfield battles. Finally, the deadlock was broken and as the clock ticked tediously towards the break, Tongolese striker, Thibault Llidje, struck. The 24-year-old, who Gray said he is being 'patient' with Klidje, who previously played for Bordeaux and Luzern. He emerged from a ruck of players near The Lions goal line to celebrate. Martin Boyle assisted. The break came as a welcome relief, and the same pattern emerged at the re-start. Crunching tackles, little constructive play, shots being blocked, including one from substitute Nicky Cadden. Livingston huffed and puffed, but failed to blow Hibs' house down. However, they began to get their act together, forcing Hibs back into their own half as they mounted a late charge. Scotland defender Grant Hanley was prominent, using his positional sense and his head on several occasions to snuff out dangerous moves, and Kanayo Megwa had been a strong presence throughout. Chances were at a premium for the home side, with debutant goalkeeper, Raphael Sallinger, having a comfortable afternoon between the Hibs posts. If looked as if Klidje's strike would separate the teams as the final whistle loomed when Hibs broke and Mulligan took centre stage with three minutes of regular time remaining. It was a goal to savour, and the Hibs fans certainly did, singing 'That's the way I like it'. Livi did have a late chance but Zak Rudden failed to find the net after a free-kick from substitute Connor McLennan and Hibs countered quickly and could, possibly should, have added to their tally had they made more of a four-on-two break from inside their own half. Sportingly, Livingston manager, David Martindale, conceded that Hibs deserved to progress, but added: 'We played some good football.' Of course, Livingston were promoted from the play-offs last season, and he did concede that the West Lothian club had not faced a club from the top six in the William Hill Premiership for some time. He said: 'There is a difference between the top six and the bottom six (in the Premiership).' He's right, there is, on this evidence, but Livingston will learn from this. They will have to learn fast as it is Celtic Park for them next Saturday (15.00) on William Hill Premiership business. Like this: Like Related

Rangers boss Russell Martin says it will all work out fine, but there is no sign of a plan clicking
Rangers boss Russell Martin says it will all work out fine, but there is no sign of a plan clicking

Daily Mail​

time44 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Rangers boss Russell Martin says it will all work out fine, but there is no sign of a plan clicking

There are a number of situations, on the eve of a £40million-plus play-off for a place in the Champions League proper, that make you feel that the American Revolution at Rangers isn't quite panning out the way people thought. There's the obvious, broad-brushstroke stuff, of course. The team, quite frankly, cannot defend and look wide open almost every time they lose the ball. Which is quite often, by the way. Over and above the three-goal home win over Viktoria Plzen in the last round of qualifiers in UEFA's premier competition, they have too often lacked the zip and ingenuity to break down opposition teams. And all that has led to some really, really serious questions about the new head coach Russell Martin. If you took a straw poll of the people who have been going to Ibrox in recent weeks to watch the early days of his reign play out, it would be no surprise to hear a sizeable number want him out the door already. He was hardly a popular appointment in the first place and the standard of performance under his tutelage so far has been a textbook case of how not to win friends and influence people. That, then, brings you to some specifics. Club Brugge are on their way for that Champions League play-off and Rangers are somehow in a position where they have to pray that Cyriel Dessers is fit to lead the line. This is a guy who was supposedly on his way to AEK Athens weeks ago. Hard as he tries and as much as he puts himself out there time after time, it has been established that the Nigerian international is not a man to lead the line long-term. Not a man to hang your hat on when it matters. Yet, unless something dramatic plays out in the next 24 hours, Rangers desperately need him to get over the knee injury he suffered in the second leg of the clash with Plzen. Martin has stated that Hamza Igamane is not physically ready to start and anyone who has been watching Danilo of late can tell you that he won't cut the mustard either. The Brazilian hasn't scored a competitive goal this season. In what turned out to be an almighty struggle against League One Alloa Athletic in the Premier Sports Cup at the weekend, he was anonymous again. Hardly touched the ball. No progress has been made on signing the centre-forward the team so badly needs — and has needed since the window opened — and the weekend brought news that a known person of interest in Maccabi Tel Aviv's Dor Turgeman is the subject of a bid from MLS side New England Revolution. At the other end of the pitch, meanwhile, Rangers are just a disaster waiting to happen, no matter who seems to play in their back four and no matter who they are playing against. The goals conceded against Alloa in yesterday's 4-2 win were comic cuts stuff. The first, when Rangers were a goal up from a lovely opener from Nedim Bajrami, was insane. Nasser Djiga loses the ball in midfield after taking a rush of blood to the head and falls over. Bailey Rice, stuck at left-back because there's no one else, gets skinned by Steven Buchanan. Rangers have umpteen chances to clear the danger and, after a bout of bagatelle, Max Aarons smashes it off Joe Rothwell — who has already used an arm to block a goalbound shot — and it cannons off his napper and into the net. Manny Fernandez, who was no great shakes at the back, and a James Tavernier penalty got it to 3-1 before all hell broke loose again. Free-kick to the back post, David Devine jumps to win a header against Kieran Dowell, whose back is to the ball and whose feet are planted on the ground, it hits off the underside of the bar and Scott Taggart is standing on the goal-line to make it 3-2. That it took a 90th-minute finish from substitute Findlay Curtis to make this game safe for Rangers is bonkers. It's all bonkers, really. This is a Rangers side failing to keep possession, continually playing silly passes into silly areas and looking nothing at all like a cohesive unit. In previous domestic meetings against Motherwell and Dundee, two teams expected to end up bottom six in the Premiership, they were sliced open over and over again. And there's nothing to suggest that pattern is going to change any time soon. As for sorting out this riot of a rearguard? Is a 19-year-old left-back on loan from Brentford in Jayden Meghoma — when there's a reported £6m coming into the coffers from the sale of Jefte to Palmeiras — a copper-bottomed answer? Is a defence full of players on temporary agreements an answer either? Djiga's on loan from Wolves. Aarons, dreadful so far, is on loan from Bournemouth. Meghoma's now in the building. Listen, Rangers are in a big rebuild. Loans can be a fast and cheap method of getting talent you couldn't normally afford — winger Mikey Moore is another in the door from Spurs — but do you really want a team built around so many of these guys? Like Aarons, Meghoma is a player Martin has worked with in the past. As is Rothwell. Whether he plays against Brugge or not is going to be fascinating. The 30-year-old was brought in from Leeds United to be the linchpin in midfield. A guy who would play a big role in introducing others to Martin's methodology. He looked good in his first game at home to Panathinaikos. Since then, less so. In a revealing interview after a better display against Alloa, Rothwell admitted he had spent previous games playing too many safe passes instead of moving the ball forward. That's not good. He's supposed to be one of the guys Martin's system is built around and is already looking like he might not be the best option for that No 6 position when Nicolas Raskin is still at the club. If Rothwell doesn't keep his place for a game as big as a Champions League play-off, what does it say about how things are working out for him? There are umpteen other issues you could talk about too. Why Tavernier, now 33, looks like he needs to start because no one else is up to it? Why Dowell is still getting game time? Why so much dead wood remains in the squad? No one can realistically expect Rangers to dispose of Brugge over two legs. And it's not the end of the world if they don't. Martin's bigger problem is that the visit of Celtic to Ibrox on August 31 is now thundering over the horizon and defeat there is not going to go down at all well inside a stadium which has already threatened to turn toxic this term. The head coach keeps talking about how players are learning and how everything is going to work out fine in time, but all he is offering so far is words. Evidence that his plan looks like clicking is non-existent. Yes, Rangers have burned through too many managers in recent years. However, the words of vice-chair Paraag Marathe in his first media appearance at the end of June cannot be ignored as the team stumbles from one dismal display to another. 'There's no such thing as a honeymoon period in football,' stated the man who is also Leeds United chairman and president of 49ers Enterprises. So far, life under Martin has been no honeymoon. A couple of bad results at Ibrox over the next two weeks and you can be sure an increasing number of understandably irate punters will be bellowing for divorce. Rangers (4-3-3): Kelly 6; Aarons 5, Fernandez 5, Djiga 5, Rice 4 (Tavernier 45); Rothwell 6 (Barron 68), Dowell 4, BAJRAMI 7; Cortes 5 (Curtis 84), Danilo 4 (Igamane 68), Moore 6 (Aasgaard 69). Booked: Barron. Manager: Russell Martin 5. Alloa (4-3-3): McFarlane 7; Foster 6, Devine 6.5, Taggart 6.5, Waters 6; Scougall 6, Hetherington 6 (Bruin 90), Roberts 6 (Donnelly 86); Buchanan 7, Rankin 5 (Sammon 59), Orsi 6 (O'Donnell 59). Booked: Hetherington, Devine, O'Donnell. Manager: Andy Graham 6. Referee: Dan McFarlane. Attendance: 33,959.

‘Who signed this off' – Ex-Premier League captain blasts new rule debuted during Sky Sports' Man Utd vs Arsenal coverage
‘Who signed this off' – Ex-Premier League captain blasts new rule debuted during Sky Sports' Man Utd vs Arsenal coverage

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

‘Who signed this off' – Ex-Premier League captain blasts new rule debuted during Sky Sports' Man Utd vs Arsenal coverage

The broadcaster has been given access to a previously sacred place TELE-NG OFF 'Who signed this off' – Ex-Premier League captain blasts new rule debuted during Sky Sports' Man Utd vs Arsenal coverage Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER Stoke captain Glenn Whelan has blasted a new Premier League rule during Manchester United's defeat to Arsenal. The ex-midfielder objected to a broadcast decision made by Sky Sports. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Martin Odegaard was interviewed at half-time on Sky Sports Credit: Sky Sports Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was interviewed at half-time and asked to give his thoughts on the opening period whilst in the tunnel. Whelan fumed at the change, tweeting: "🤬🤬🤬🤬 ffs… who's signed this off bet they've never wore a pair of football boots." Sky Sports new TV deal with the Prem grants the broadcaster greater access than ever. They will air half-time interviews with players and managers and have more access to the dressing room. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Shrimply lovely Crisis club Morecambe saved from extinction as last-gasp deal struck Odegaard's interview was the first to appear on Sky Sports this season. Premier League teams will have to allow broadcasters access to one of the new enhancements at least twice per season. However, clubs will be able to deny access to their dressing rooms if they are losing - as outlined in Section K of the league's latest handbook. Clubs will also be able to have the final say on whether audio from inside the dressing room is recorded. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS If access is denied then clubs will have to accommodate another request for access later in the season. The process of adding the new enhancements has been thoroughly mapped out by the league, outlining the procedure that clubs and broadcasters will have to take. Roy Keane clashes with Micah Richards on Sky Sports but fans distracted by Daniel Sturridge Broadcasters must request enhanced access at least five days before the match they want it for, identifying what kind of access they would prefer.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store