Russell Martin needs to ditch Rangers blueprint against Panathinaikos as Athens sweatbox among 3 concerns

Daily Record

6 hours ago

Gers have been handed a tough assignment if they want to reach the third qualifying round of the Champions League
Andy Little spent his Ibrox career cooling his heels on the bench when the big European nights came around.
But he's warned Russell Martin that if he's serious about hot-footing it past Panathinaikos, he'll have to consider sticking his bold passing plans for Rangers into cold storage.
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Gers have been handed a nightmare draw in their opening Champions League qualifier.
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Not only will they have to deal with Rui Vitoria's Greek Super League runners up, but new boss Martin and his team will also be faced with soaring 30 degree-plus temperatures in Athens when they travel for the second leg in the midweek of July 29-30.
The opening tie at Ibrox on July 22-23 will come barely a month after the former Southampton coach gets to meet his team for the first time.
And Little is concerned his old side will still be getting to grips with Martin's intense possession-based blueprint when they step out into the sweatbox that is Panithanikos' Alexandras Stadium HQ.
'It certainly could have been easier,' said former striker Little after watching the Light Blues miss out on landing possible draws against Swiss side Servette and SK Brann of Norway.
'Not only the draw but the order of the two fixtures makes it even tougher.
'Over the last number of years when Rangers have been successful in Europe, they've gone away from home, ground out an ugly 0-0 or 1-1 and then they've come back to the bright lights of Ibrox and we've had these magical nights.
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'That's not happening this time with the away leg second.
'It's also the first competitive game for Russell. A new manager is coming in and his first competitive game is a big, big pressure game at Ibrox
'In my opinion, I don't think you can go over there overly confident with just a draw from the first leg so I think you have to win that opening night at Ibrox.
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'Hopefully they can perform the miracles that they have done over the last number of years.
'But Panathinaikos are no mugs and the heat over there will be a big factor.
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'The warmest game I ever played in was in 40-something degrees in an international match for Northern Ireland against Turkey.
'It was played in Connecticut in America and I think it was the hottest day for 100 years in Connecticut. So that was the toughest conditions I ever experienced.
'Your feet get very sore and you have to put on a new shirt at half-time because the first gains about six kilos just from sweat.
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'Thankfully, most of the players that we have right now have experienced European football. That's a positive.
"But a big factor for me is going to be the style of play that we believe Russell Martin wants to play and most likely a very hot, clammy, sticky pitch - and whether that style of play is possible.'
Martin and his team will only get down to work on Monday as they begin drilling into the fluid attacking style he built his reputation on while at MK Dons and Swansea.
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He refused to budge from his passing philosophy even when his Southampton side were being ripped apart in the Premier League.
But Little reckons Martin will have to adapt in Europe - or risk seeing his team torn wide open again.
He said: 'Being a possession-based team requires an awful lot of work off the ball as well to make angles and help each other out. And for a team that are just getting to know each other possibly, that isn't going to be easy.
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'Players need to work almost telepathically. Normally, if you've played together with a team, you can almost sense where your teammates are about to move to, but that's not going to happen because a new squad will be assembled.
'So it's a really, really tough task that the manager has.
'Listen, a big part of football now is certain managers have a style of play and they stick to it and they don't deviate from it.
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'Personally, I worked under the likes of Walter Smith, who didn't even question or concern himself if we ended up playing without a striker. He did what he had to do to get through games and win games, and personally, I love that mentality.
'I understand it's not the easiest on the eye at times, but it won trophies.
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'I think you have to have a plan B, personally. But we'll soon find out whether or not the new manager wants to have that plan B or wants to just stick with his principles.'
Little spent six years at Ibrox but the closest the 36-year-old got to European action being an unused substitute for Smith's side in a string of Champions League clashes.
He said: "It definitely is a big regret. I was part of a lot of squads and had some amazing away trips.
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"I witnessed some big nights in Europe and it was a massive regret to be honest.
"There was one game when we were out the qualification race and we played Bursaspor in Turkey.
"A lot of the younger lads got a start. Had I not been injured, which was the story of my career, I'm pretty confident I'd have got a start then.
"That's the highs and lows of footy."