Latest news with #Souness
Daily Record
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Graeme Souness lays down Rangers Champions League law as he delivers big Oliver Antman prediction
Former Ibrox boss who conquered the continent as a player wasn't mincing his words when it comes to Rangers' European aspirations Second best was never a place Graeme Souness felt comfortable. Not as a manager. And certainly not as a player. Three European Cup winner's medals - and from a time when the competition was contested only by champions - attest to a man who dominated midfields at the very top level and conquered the continent. As one of only a trio of Scots to do it three times alongside Liverpool colleagues Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen, Souness earned the right to carry himself with a swagger whenever he took his place at the top table with the Anfield club or when he moved to Rangers as player manager almost 40 years ago. Times have changed. The competition has changed. Rangers have changed. But one thing that will never alter, according to the 72-year-old, is the lure of the competition for players who believe they belong with the elite. Whether they actually do or not. Rangers have made a name for themselves as a serious Europa League force over the last three years. But Souness insists nobody inside Ibrox will be giving a thought to the second tier competition right now, even with the safety net secured for another season. Not when the bright lights and big bucks of the main show is coming into focus. Rangers have one foot in the Champions League play-off round thanks to Tuesday's 3-0 thumping of Viktoria Plzen at Ibrox. Finish off the Czechs this week and they will face a two-leg play off against RB Salzburg or Club Brugge - the side Souness and Liverpool defeated in the 1977 final in his first Euro triumph - for a place in the £40m league phase. And that 36-team elite phase, says the former Scotland skipper, is where Rangers HAVE to believe they belong. Souness said: 'It's paramount. Forget the financial aspect, if you're a player, you want to play against the very best. 'Every professional footballer thinks he's the dog's bollocks… whether they are or not. You want to play against the very best. 'If you're a Rangers player, you want to be in the Champions League. That's where all the spotlight is, where all the interest is, where all the money is. You're playing against the very best. 'It's not an easy feat. It's Salzburg and Club Brugge if they finish the job against Plzen. It's not easy. 'But if they were to get there, there's teams that they'd be more than a match for. They're not all a Barcelona or Liverpool. I think there were good signs against Plzen on Tuesday night, but it's early. 'It's early because people get fit at different stages in pre-season. Some players need four games, six games, eight, 10 games. 'So Rangers are still very much catching up and getting into a level of fitness where they need to be for them all to be at it.' Russell Martin handed six of his summer signings a start in Tuesday's Plzen pummelling. Not for the first time Djeidi Gassama stole the headlines with a double. But it was the electric impact of his fellow wing king Oliver Antman, who provided two assists just 24 hours after completing his move from Go Ahead Eagles, that had Souness on his feet. He said: 'I saw Antman play on Tuesday and I thought, certainly for 45 minutes, he was fabulous. As Rangers were in the first 45 minutes. If that's his level of performance, Rangers supporters will love him. 'He arrives the day before, gets thrown in, shakes hands, meets in the dressing room, the next day he's out playing. He did really, really well. He looks like a player. 'They'll want to go over there this week, set up in the first 45 minutes, give nothing away. Don't give them any confidence at all. Clean sheet, keep the crowd quiet, just usual European nights away. 'Don't do anything rash, don't get the crowd excited, don't make any daft challenges, don't give goals away, don't give them any encouragement.' * Graeme Souness was promoting Premier Sports' coverage of Scottish football including over 80 matches from the Scottish Premiership, Premier Sports Cup, Scottish Cup and KDM Evolution Trophy. Fans can watch an entire season of football for only £99 using promo code PSCUP25.
Daily Record
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Graeme Souness reveals one Rangers takeover certainty as he shares what he's hearing about 49ers
The Ibrox icon swept into Govan 39 years ago and changed the face of the game in Scotland Graeme Souness believes Rangers' American takeover is the biggest thing to hit Scottish football since his own arrival in 1986. And the man who revolutionised the Ibrox club almost 40 years ago has backed new boss Russell Martin to help the owners topple Celtic off their perch at the top of the domestic game. Souness spoke at Hampden as he helped launch Premier Sports coverage of the new campaign - and instantly threw his weight behind Martin's decision top axe skipper James Tavernier and midfield linchpin Nico Raskin for Tuesday night's Champions League win over Viktoria Pilzen. Russell's iron fisted approach to running his dressing room has struck chord with Souness who laid down the law during his own time at the helm. And he believes the recent handover of power to Andrew Cavenagh's consortium might be the single most significant moment the club has experienced since his own appointment as player/manager. He said: 'Yes. 100%. As I said, these people understand soccer. Do they fully understand what Glasgow Rangers is about? 'I'm sure they have realised that this is a unique football club and a unique football experience. It's a very special football club. And working in the west of Scotland is quite unique, trust me!' And Souness says Russell's no nonsense approach to Saturday's 1-1 opening day draw at Motherwell has provided him with a flash-back to his own time in charge. The man who was sent off on his own managerial debut at Easter Road went on: 'Russell's start has not been as interesting as the one I had, although that would take some doing! 'But he's a new man in and he will take more than a month working with the group of players to get his message across. 'I understand that the game at the weekend wasn't good enough for what he wants. But I was at the game last night and in the first-half and they looked very impressive. 'Rangers are still in the process of getting up to full speed, so you're going to cut them some slack for that. "But he must understand, having been at this football club before, that time is not your friend. 'You lose a couple of games and the pressure's on. And he'll be aware of that. 'He went early with the players after Saturday's performance but that's his style. 'You'd have to say that he's put his foot down pretty quickly. And I don't see that as a bad thing. 'You're putting a marker down: 'I have my standards and you're going to have to come up to my standards to be a regular starter in this team!'. It's not about him dropping his standards to accommodate players. 'A manager has to be the boss, and I think it's never been more difficult for a manager today to do that job than certainly when I was working.' And Souness says Martin's outburst was also reminiscent of the dressing room savagings he once suffered at the hands of late great Scotland boss Jock Stein. He went on: 'I've been talking about Jock Stein a lot recently. I always felt Jock Stein was harder on Kenny Dalglish and me with the rest of the lads in the Scottish team. 'He didn't go after the younger guys and I think the message he was getting across to us was, 'I can pick on these and I can bully them.' 'He did that; I was frightened of him. Although I'm not sure Kenny was! 'But the message was, 'If I can do that to them, you make sure you're on it!'. 'I could deal with it when I was very, very young; I didn't have to be 30. We're all different. 'Some people need a lot more love than others. I was lucky - I didn't need any love. 'But that's how I managed. I would leave the younger players alone and if I felt some of the senior players gave me an opportunity, you'd be looking to put a marker down. 'Maybe he's putting a marker down very, very early on in the season. He's been criticised for going early. 'But it's his way of management if that's his choice. It's not new. As I said, Jock Stein would do it. 'I expected the senior players to be the standard-bearers. They were the ones that had to set the standards within the dressing room. 'And that's how it should be. 'I'm a great believer that you don't have a successful football club unless you have good senior pros. 'And maybe Russell is expecting a bit more from some of the senior pros than he got at the weekend. 'And I don't see anything wrong with him digging them out and saying, 'Look, it ain't good enough,' and then taking it forward to the next game and leaving them out. 'I don't see anything wrong with that. It's all on his head. It's his decisions that'll make him successful or not.' And Souness expects equally tough decisions to be made off the park, as Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers get on with their transformative work. He said: 'Yeah, I think the new guys have started well. The noises that have come out sound very professional and it's as if they know what they're doing. 'This is not a case of will they get it right. This is a case of when they get it right. This is not their first dip into soccer. 'And like in any new business, they will have made some mistakes down in England with Leeds United. 'And I expect them to hit the ground running to a certain point. From what I'm hearing from within the club and how it comes out publicly, I'm very much encouraged.' Asked if there's a likely timescale for Rangers to win back the league crown he responded: 'No, I think it's a bit like dealing with a politician, asking Rachael Reeves or Starmer when they're going to get it right. 'In football terms, it's the same. I think you're putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. 'But, like I'm a Rangers supporter and like every other Rangers supporter, I hope it's sooner rather than later. I hope it's this year. But in football, the minute you try to attach logic to football, you'll come unstuck. 'But this is 100 per cent what Rangers have been crying out for and it would appear from the outside looking in, it's settled down. 'People know what roles they've got within the organisation. And I think there's a clear path that's being led from the top. I think everyone now knows their job and they can get on with it.'
The National
06-08-2025
- Sport
- The National
Graeme Souness on big Rangers call Russell Martin got right
Martin raised eyebrows when he heavily criticised his players after their opening day Premiership 1-1 draw with Motherwell. However, it had the desired effect when they ran out convincing 3-0 victors over Czech side Viktoria Plzen in Champions League qualifying on Tuesday night. The Ibrox boss was unhappy with the work ethic of some of his players at Fir Park and would go on to drop captain James Tavernier and Nicolas Raskin, both big players under previous managers. Some questioned whether it was wise for the 39-year-old to be so fierce towards his players so early into his reign but Souness sees no issue with it. He said: "He went early, but that's his style. I thought it was a long-winded way of actually saying what is something I've experienced at a number of clubs. When you're at a true giant of a football club, every team you're playing, it's their cup final. I think that was the message he was trying to get across, that Rangers only play in cup finals. As do Celtic. "You don't have any easy games. They may end up being easy games when you get yourselves a couple of goals up, but they don't start as easy games." In terms of big-name players in Tavernier and Raskin being the ones to drop to the bench, Souness sees that as another shrewd move. A statement, if you will, that players need to get up to the required standard rather than there being any chance of the manager accepting less. "You'd have to say that he's put his foot down pretty quickly," he said. "And I don't see that as a bad thing. I think you're putting a marker down that I have my standards and you're going to have to come up to my standards to be a regular member or a starter in this team. "It's not about him dropping his standards to accommodate players. A manager has to be the boss, and I think it's never been more difficult for a manager today to do that job than certainly when I was working." Read more: It is something the Rangers and Liverpool legend experienced as a player playing under the great Jock Stein, and went onto implement as a manager himself - at Ibrox and Anfield as well as the likes of Galatasaray, Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle. He recalled: "You rang a bell in my head because I've been talking about Jock Stein a lot recently. I always felt Jock Stein was hard on Kenny Dalglish and me with the Scottish team. "And I think the message he was getting across to us was, if he didn't go after the younger guys, 'I can pick on these and I can bully them.' He did that; I was frightened of him. And the message was, 'If I can do that to them, you make sure you're on it.'" "That was how I managed. I would leave the younger players alone. And if I felt some of the senior players gave me an opportunity, because you're looking to put a marker down, maybe he's putting a marker down very, very early on in the season. He's been criticised for going early, but it's his way of management if that's his choice. It's not new. As I said, Jock Stein would do it. "I expected from the senior players to be the standard-bearers. They were the ones that had to set the standards within the dressing room. And that's how it should be. "I'm a great believer that you don't have a successful football club unless you have good senior pros. And maybe he's expecting a bit more from some of the senior pros than he got at the weekend. I don't see anything wrong with him digging them out and saying 'Look, it ain't good enough', and then taking it forward to the next game and leaving them out. I don't see anything wrong with that. It's all on his head. It's his decisions that'll make him successful or not." Read more: Another masterstroke from the former Southampton manager was throwing Finnish winger Oliver Antman in for a debut just 24 hours after his move from Go Ahead Eagles was confirmed. Antman repaid him with an exciting display, capped off by winning a penalty and providing an assist. "The one I can think of where I bought someone and threw them straight in was a guy called Rob Jones," remembered Souness. "I bought him from Crewe, a fullback who turned out to be a really good player but had his career cut short by a bad back. I'd signed him on a Wednesday or Thursday and our first game was at Old Trafford against Ryan Giggs, and he didn't give him a kick. "I thought last night he [Antman] was fabulous. He looks like a real player. If that's his level of performance, Rangers supporters are going to love him."
The National
06-08-2025
- Business
- The National
Graeme Souness delivers promise on Rangers' US owners
The US consortium led by health tycoon Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises took control of the Ibrox club earlier this summer and is in the very early stages of their reign. However, former player and manager Souness has seen and heard enough to be certain they are the people to get the club back on the right track. "I think the new guys have started well," he said. "The noises that have come out sound very professional and as if they know what they're doing. This is not a case of will they get it right. This is a case of when they get it right. "This is not their first dip into soccer. And like in any new business, they will have made some mistakes down in England with Leeds United. And I expect them to hit the ground running to a certain point. From what I'm hearing from within the club and how it comes out publicly, I'm very much encouraged." Read more: Russell Martin opens up on key Rangers star's contract situation Russell Martin right to tackle loser's mentality at Rangers head on The owners have grand plans and want Rangers to be playing on the biggest stage of all - the Champions League. As is stands, the could be doing that in their very first season if they can see the job through against Viktoria Plzen and then win a two-legged play-off. There is an argument that the club may be better off in the Europa League at the current time while they are still trying to build themselves back up. It is an argument that Souness dismisses outright. "No," he insists. "You want to be in with the big boys. "Every professional football player thinks he's proper. And if you think that, then you want to be in against the very best. You want to be playing against the very best, apart from the financial advantages. "The Europa League might be more rewarding in terms of results and you go further in it. But I would take my chance in the Champions League. I want to play against the best."
The Herald Scotland
06-08-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Graeme Souness on big Rangers call Russell Martin got right
The Ibrox boss was unhappy with the work ethic of some of his players at Fir Park and would go on to drop captain James Tavernier and Nicolas Raskin, both big players under previous managers. Some questioned whether it was wise for the 39-year-old to be so fierce towards his players so early into his reign but Souness sees no issue with it. He said: "He went early, but that's his style. I thought it was a long-winded way of actually saying what is something I've experienced at a number of clubs. When you're at a true giant of a football club, every team you're playing, it's their cup final. I think that was the message he was trying to get across, that Rangers only play in cup finals. As do Celtic. "You don't have any easy games. They may end up being easy games when you get yourselves a couple of goals up, but they don't start as easy games." In terms of big-name players in Tavernier and Raskin being the ones to drop to the bench, Souness sees that as another shrewd move. A statement, if you will, that players need to get up to the required standard rather than there being any chance of the manager accepting less. "You'd have to say that he's put his foot down pretty quickly," he said. "And I don't see that as a bad thing. I think you're putting a marker down that I have my standards and you're going to have to come up to my standards to be a regular member or a starter in this team. "It's not about him dropping his standards to accommodate players. A manager has to be the boss, and I think it's never been more difficult for a manager today to do that job than certainly when I was working." Read more: It is something the Rangers and Liverpool legend experienced as a player playing under the great Jock Stein, and went onto implement as a manager himself - at Ibrox and Anfield as well as the likes of Galatasaray, Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle. He recalled: "You rang a bell in my head because I've been talking about Jock Stein a lot recently. I always felt Jock Stein was hard on Kenny Dalglish and me with the Scottish team. "And I think the message he was getting across to us was, if he didn't go after the younger guys, 'I can pick on these and I can bully them.' He did that; I was frightened of him. And the message was, 'If I can do that to them, you make sure you're on it.'" "That was how I managed. I would leave the younger players alone. And if I felt some of the senior players gave me an opportunity, because you're looking to put a marker down, maybe he's putting a marker down very, very early on in the season. He's been criticised for going early, but it's his way of management if that's his choice. It's not new. As I said, Jock Stein would do it. "I expected from the senior players to be the standard-bearers. They were the ones that had to set the standards within the dressing room. And that's how it should be. "I'm a great believer that you don't have a successful football club unless you have good senior pros. And maybe he's expecting a bit more from some of the senior pros than he got at the weekend. I don't see anything wrong with him digging them out and saying 'Look, it ain't good enough', and then taking it forward to the next game and leaving them out. I don't see anything wrong with that. It's all on his head. It's his decisions that'll make him successful or not." Read more: Another masterstroke from the former Southampton manager was throwing Finnish winger Oliver Antman in for a debut just 24 hours after his move from Go Ahead Eagles was confirmed. Antman repaid him with an exciting display, capped off by winning a penalty and providing an assist. "The one I can think of where I bought someone and threw them straight in was a guy called Rob Jones," remembered Souness. "I bought him from Crewe, a fullback who turned out to be a really good player but had his career cut short by a bad back. I'd signed him on a Wednesday or Thursday and our first game was at Old Trafford against Ryan Giggs, and he didn't give him a kick. "I thought last night he [Antman] was fabulous. He looks like a real player. If that's his level of performance, Rangers supporters are going to love him."
