Rangers: Russell Martin expects team to ‘look very different’ for Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos | Football News
The Rangers launched the Russell Martin era with a friendly draw, but the new head coach expects the team “to be very different” before their first qualifier of the Champions League.
Bournemouth’s right back on the Max Aarons field was the only five Summer Signatures of Rangers to start on Sunday’s match against Club Brugge while central defender Emmanuel Fernandez came for the last half hour.
Joe Rothwell, Lyall Cameron and Thelo Aasgaard did not play any role in the 2-2 draw but were presented at the crowd of Ibrox at halftime.
Max Aarons was the only new signatures from the Rangers to start against the Brugge club
The Rangers start their attempt to qualify for the Champions League for two weeks when they welcome Panathinaikos during the first leg of their second equal qualification round.
While Martin was “satisfied” with their performance against the winners of the Belgian Cup, he admits that there is work to do before his first competition match.
Emmanuel Fernandez appeared in the second half of the Rangers friendly draw
“I prefer the team’s mentality in the second half for the first half,” he said Sky Sports News.
“I think we started well, then we conceded, then the team looks a little different, which is understandable after two weeks of work.
“The team will be very different in a week, two weeks, you hope to continue to improve.
“Over time, the things we institute now will become used and will become second nature.
“I told the guys that they had to think a lot about the minute and that they are under a big tiredness physically and mentally because there are a lot of details to take, a lot of new things.
“It will become like their breathing, it will become instinctive, so I look forward to it.”
Thelo Aasgaard was confirmed as the fifth signature of the Rangers before Sunday’s friendly match
A certain number of players were linked to a move to Ibrox this summer, in particular the former Leicester striker Jamie Vardy and the defenders Conor Coady and Nasser Djiga, but the former boss of Southampton refused to rely on who could be following.
“We must make sure they are the right ones in terms of character and talent, you cannot have one without the other in this football club,” he added.
“Absolutely delighted with who we have brought, they have permanently improved.
“I expect that we have once again different in a week of what we are doing today.”
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