Takeover consortium visit Ibrox
Key members of the Rangers takeover consortium were given a VIP guided tour of Ibrox on Tuesday as a deal draws close to being finalised. (Scottish Sun), externalDundee manager Tony Docherty is still hopeful of keeping midfielder Josh Mulligan despite interest from Rangers. (Courier), externalRangers midfielder Findlay Curtis was forced off and using crutches after the youth side's Glasgow Cup win against Celtic on penalties. (Scottish Sun), externalRead all of Wednesday's Scottish Gossip
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BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
'We need to back him now and hope he delivers'
We asked for your views on Russell Martin's appointment as Rangers head are some of your comments: Harris: I'm happy that we finally got a manager but I was hoping for Why appoint the man that threw Southampton into shambles?Jeff: Well hopefully he is not one dimensional. 3-5-2 seems to be a good formation when playing Pretty underwhelming appointment, however, I hope the fans get behind him and give him a chance to prove Time will tell, we need to back him now and hope he delivers. Read comparisons to big Ange Postecoglou this week, if true it could make him the right This is a brilliant appointment. A studious coach that has the ability to man manage and also coach technically very well without overly complicating the game. He earns the respect of his players and I feel he will bring our great club the success we have yearned for these past few years.
Scottish Sun
17 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Michael Beale tells Rangers fans to get behind Russell Martin and opens up on Steven Gerrard return possibility
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MICHAEL BEALE has urged the Rangers fans to be patient with Russell Martin - because he WILL get them moving in the right direction. Celtic enjoyed another dominant season in Scottish football, winning the Premiership title and the Premier Sports Cup. 3 Rangers have confirmed the appointment of Russell Martin as their new head coach Credit: PA 3 Michael Beale and Steven Gerrard were linked with a potential return to Ibrox Credit: Willie Vass - The Sun Glasgow The Hoops finished 17 points clear of Rangers, with Philippe Clement sacked in February and Barry Ferguson failing to get a consistent tune out of the squad in his spell as interim boss. Martin, 39, was confirmed as the new head coach this morning on a three-year deal. Beale, part of Steven Gerrard's backroom team whilst at Gers, returned to Ibrox in 2022 but was sacked 43 games later. He was briefly linked alongside Gerrard with a potential comeback this summer, with Gerrad, Martin and Davide Ancelotti all considered by the Ibrox board. In the end the job was given to Martin and Beale is hopeful he can return his former club to success. Speaking on talkSPORT, Beale said: "He should go in there with the conviction and the bravery that he's shown to take the job. "He obviously believes in himself and as a coach he has a strong identity in terms of how he wants his teams to play. "The fans will need to be patient with the new ownership and Russell as a coach as they build a new Rangers. "Everybody wanted to see Rangers rebuild under the new ownership and get a new head coach to move in a new direction. "Everyone should get behind Russell and his staff." What next for Rangers after American takeover is confirmed? While the fans are being asked to give the new manager time to bed in, Beale did admit the expectation for the team to win will be there from the off. He said: "The expectation will be the same but obviously with the new ownership waiting in the wings, the last couple of managers haven't had stability around them. That certainly won't be the case now for Russell. "I wish them every success. "Given time, I think he can move Rangers in the right direction. "It's a time for excitement and optimism." Beale also opened up on how close he and Gerrard came to coming back to Glasgow. He said: "No, we never spoke about it to be honest. "Steven has said he wants to take a period of time with his family, he's becoming a grandfather this summer which is a wonderful thing for him. "I don't think it was ever on the cards and we are all behind Russell as Rangers supporters." 3 Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scotsman
18 minutes ago
- Scotsman
What system is Russell Martin likely to implement at Rangers? Formation, philosophy and tactics examined
This is how Russell Martin is likely to set his Rangers team up following his appointment as manager Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rangers search for a new manager has concluded after the club confirmed former Scotland international Russell Martin as the new man in the Ibrox dugout. Signing a three-year-deal in Govan, the ex-Southampton head coach has been out of work since his departure from St Mary's in December, but has now been named as the permanent successor to Philippe Clement who was sacked by the club 101 days ago following a 2-0 home defeat to St Mirren. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Beating off competition from ex-Real Madrid assistant manager Davide Ancelotti, the highly-rated 39-year-old coach said it was 'a privilege to be named head coach of Rangers Football Club at the beginning of this exciting new chapter', before adding: "I know what this club demands. From my time here, I had a taste of how special this club is, the expectation, the passion and the history.' While the appointment has been met with a lukewarm response by sections of the Rangers fanbase, many are curious to see how their former loanee will do in the Ibrox dugout, with Martin viewed as one of the UK's best young coaches. Here's how Martin is likely to set up his team, his preferred formation and style of play after being appointed as manager of Rangers... What formation will Russell Martin play at Rangers? Martin has tactical flexibility, and is able to adapt formations dependant on his squad, and the opposition he is facing. However, his tends to favour a system that will support his possession-based philosophy, with a 4-3-3 attacking formation implemented for the bulk of his managerial career. This appears to be the system he will most likely use at Rangers, dependant on what signings they make this summer. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He has been known to play 3-4-2-1, 3-5-2 and 4-1-2-1, all of which allow him to use inverted full-backs, and attacking midfielders in half-spaces. His choice of formation will be based around fluid build-up, possession, and high pressing. Russell Martin played briefly for Rangers. | SNS Group What sort of system is Russell Martin likely to implement at Rangers? 'Nine times out of 10 in Scotland, Rangers will play against teams sitting in, and it's about breaking them down. I think the philosophy of Russell is all about that. He wants his team to have lots of possession, push the opposition deep and then hurt them,' said ex-Hearts head coach Steven Naismith recently and, as is well documented, Martin intends for his teams to create chances by dominating possession of the ball. His MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton sides often topped the charts for ball possession and retention, with his style has been described as 'ultra possession' by some football statistics sites. During his promotion-winning campaign with Southampton in 2023/24, his side averaged 65.7% possession, while his MK Dons side set a British record when they scored a goal from a 56-pass move during the 2020/21 season. In that same campaign , only Manchester City and Barcelona scored a higher average possession percentage in Europe than Martin's MK Dons outfit. Adding balance and pressing style While it can often be viewed as 'death by possession', with multiple backwards and sideward passes, his intention is to always find the spare man and is designed to dominate and exploit space, while his teams are also encouraged press aggressively in order regain possession quickly when the ball in lost. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, he may adapt this slightly, admitting his spell with Southampton in the English Premier League last season made him consider if they should have 'tried and dominate the ball but be aware there are times when we have to suffer', saying they 'needed to make a real focus on being really difficult to play against, as well as all the stuff with the ball', before adding: 'if you could bring the beauty with a ball, but also bring the darkness with that stuff, you need both." Use of a single-pivot He also likes to use a single pivot midfielder to help implement his style. The centrepiece of any Martin team, he relied heavily on Flynn Downes at Southampton, and Matt Grimes during his time at Swansea in those roles. He likes his pivot to dominate the game, in order to swing control into his team's favour. Width and particularly ball-playing defenders As attested to above, Martin wants his teams to dictate the tempo of a game, making ball-playing defenders (such as Rangers-linked Harry Darling) crucial to his system. His attacking midfielders or wingers are often pushed forward. Martin's philosophy, in simple terms, is perhaps best summed up by the man himself when he said: 'The more we have the ball, the more we can control the game and take the fight out of opposition teams', and he has a real commitment to it, saying previously: 'I cannot stand on the sidelines watching something I don't feel connected with or love.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Former Southampton manager Russell Martin has been confirmed as the new Rangers head coach. (Photo by) What has Russell Martin said about his style of play? 'Express ourselves' 'We want to dominate possession, play with courage, and control the tempo of the game. It's about expressing ourselves through the ball.' Aggressive high-press 'We press high to win the ball back quickly and keep the opposition under pressure. It's about being proactive and relentless.' Fluid formations at Southampton 'Our system is flexible. Fullbacks can invert, midfielders can push into attacking spaces. It's about creating overloads and exploiting spaces intelligently.' Taking risks and identity 'I'd rather we lose playing our way than compromise our identity. Mistakes will happen, but they're part of learning to be brave.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Player relationships 'The players need to trust the process. It's demanding, but when they see it work, it's incredibly rewarding.' Nicolas Raskin could play an important role in Russell Martin's system. | Getty Images Which Rangers players will fit into Russell Martin's system? It is clear he will have a big reliance on his Rangers players executing a possession-based, high-pressing style as he seeks to restore Rangers' dominance in the Scottish Premiership. This means Nicolas Raskin could play a huge role in his side, either as the pivot or a box-to-box midfielder. The Belgian international had an 86% passing rate in the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership campaign, making him a prime candidate to start in Martin's midfield, with Raskin likely to be given the task of dominate the game with his passing and aggressive pressing. Cyriel Dessers could also play a big role in his system, with the Nigerian particularly adept at pressing. He will lead the Rangers press and look to squeeze the space against a low-block, while he'll also be the team's focal point in the middle of the front three. 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