Djeidi Gassama 'ready' for Rangers start as glaring clues on XI to face Panathinaikos emerge

Daily Record

4 days ago

Russell Martin has big calls to make going into the second leg at Ibrox
Russell Martin certainly wouldn't have hand-picked the searing heat of Athens and 40,000 Panathinaikos fanatics as his first-ever away game in Europe as a gaffer.
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On top of that, he'll turn up at the Olympic Stadium in Greece's capital with a crucial - but precarious - 2-0 lead from the first-leg of their Champions League qualifier at Ibrox.
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So the pressure's on, for Rangers ' new boss. But at his pre-match press conference in the bowels of the stadium, you wouldn't have known it.
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Physically, Martin was roasting after coming off a flight from Glasgow to be met by near 40 degree temperatures.
But mentally, the manager was cool, calm and collected in his analysis of their victory a week ago - and what's required to finish the job here in Athens.
Martin has become renowned for his unwavering belief in his system, style and philosophy. And despite the hostile atmosphere here created by the home support - that won't change come kick-off.
Of course, he knows that he'll have to rely on his players to get a result and progress to the next phase of Champions League qualifying.
But if his squad are as confident and measured as their boss, Rangers should be well equipped to qualify.
Ahead of the second-leg tie against the Greeks, Martin said: 'The players need to display courage, discipline, aggression in the right areas, intensity, all of that.
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'And nothing will change. We can talk about the approach for this game, but it's not going to change.
'We have to be the team we always want to be. I think this football club demands that.
'Late on in the game, you have to manage it as well as you possibly can depending on the situation.
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'But the approach going into it has certainly not been any different. For me it's the same situation we found ourselves in before the first game.
'It's a tough match against a good opponent that we have to be ready for. I think we'll be better than we were last week.
'We have to be, and it's down to the players when they step out over the white line to make sure we stick to the work, the detail - and really believe in what we're doing.
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'Can the players cope with the atmosphere? I hope so. We have a lot of international players. I think we have to manage the game and take the crowd out of it as much as we possibly can by doing it our way and trying to dominate in as many aspects as we can.
'I'm actually looking forward to the atmosphere. It'll be a really good experience for the guys.
'But we have a lot of players who have played in big games and big occasions for this football club.
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'I'm really confident the guys can handle it.'
One player who made a huge impact in the first game at Ibrox was new boy Djeidi Gassama, who arrived from Sheffield Wednesday.
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The French winger came off the bench and was explosive in his attacking play - scoring the vital second goal with a wonder strike off the bench.
Martin couldn't contain his excitement about the potential in the 21-year-old - and warned Panathinaikos he's preparing to unleash him at the Olympic Stadium.
He said: 'I think he's ready to start. He made a big impact for us when he came on last week.
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'You saw plenty of the reasons why we wanted to sign him.
'We had the luxury of working with him in pre-season, behind closed doors, seeing him every day and understanding the talent and ability he has.
'And he felt this environment would be perfect for him to grow and continue improving.
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It's early days. But Gass is a player that really excites us and I think can make a big difference for us.
'Hopefully, he does the same again tomorrow night.'
If Martin can navigate this tie, he'll secure European group phase football this season, whether it's in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference.
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Given where he's at in his Ibrox rebuild, he believes it would be a significant achievement - not for him personally but for the club as a whole.
And he's determined to get over the line by seeing off the Greeks and giving Rangers fans something to shout about early in his tenure as manager.
He said: 'We have a chance to give the travelling fans - and they will travel in their numbers everywhere for this football club - a night to remember.
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'And we want a night to remember ourselves. I think it would be huge for the club to go through. It's not about me, it's about the club.
'It's about the players, the team, the fans. So, take anything personally out of it, it would be brilliant for the football club if we win.
'This was a tough draw for us, for sure, but we have to make sure that's the case. We have to bring our own game plan and try to instil it as much as we possibly can.
'The opportunities in the game need to be ones that we create. I don't expect to be given anything and I don't expect us to give them anything either.
'We took a lot, so much learning from last Tuesday night. We have to make sure we take that into tomorrow.'