A whopping 102 days on from Philippe Clement’s sacking at Ibrox in February, Rangers finally have their man.
On Thursday morning, Russell Martin was unveiled as the 20th permanent manager in Rangers’ 153-year history, and he has a big job on his hands.
His first competitive fixture in charge of the Gers, coming up on 22/23 July, will be a big one, as his new team face a Champions League qualifier, ten days before the start of the new Premiership campaign.
The identity of their opponents will be confirmed on 18 June.
So, with plenty of work to do before then, we look at a dream line-up Martin could field when he takes charge at Ibrox for the very first time next month.
1 GK: Liam Kelly
One of the first major decisions Martin will have to make straight away is picking a number one goalkeeper.
After arriving in 2023, Jack Butland was the undisputed first-choice for so long, starting 100 of 109 matches across all competitions, that is until a string of errors saw him dropped by Barry Ferguson back in April.
Thus, Liam Kelly came in for the Europa League quarter-final against Athletic Club, memorably saving Álex Berenguer’s late penalty in front of the Broomloan Road Stand, preserving a goalless draw on the night.
Thus, Kelly concluded the campaign as the number one, doing very little to suggest he was not worthy of that jersey, meaning the gloves are currently his to lose, even if Butland will certainly fight for his place.
2 RB: James Tavernier
James Tavernier is a bona fide Rangers legend, having made 513 appearances since arriving from Wigan Athletic a decade ago; only ten men have featured on more occasions for the club than the current captain.
Now 33 years old, his position did come under some scrutiny last season, hence why interim boss Ferguson trialled him as both a wing-back and a right-sided centre-back in a three.
Nevertheless, in Martin’s system that prioritises possession, Tavernier will be able to operate high-and-wide, providing him with a platform to get back to his best.
3 CB: Harry Darling – new signing
Rangers surely need to bolster their centre-back options this summer, so could they sign a player the new boss knows rather well?
Robin Pröpper did not impress much after arriving a year ago, while Leon Balogun cannot be relied upon week in week out, as he’s now 36 years old, so could Harry Darling be the new central defender the Light Blues are looking for?
The 25-year-old played for Martin at Milton Keynes, before he also signed him after joining Swansea City, which is where Darling has been ever since, making 112 appearances to date for the Welsh EFL Championship outfit.
Reports have suggested that Martin would like Rangers to make a move for Darling this summer, who is out of contract in South Wales, thereby available for free, so could the prospect of reuniting with his former boss once more convince him to choose a move to Govan?
4 CB: John Souttar
Alongside, John Souttar was indisputably Rangers’ best defender last season, with Scotland captain Andy Robertson describing his performances as “unbelievable” and “different class”, adding that he “showed his quality”, following the Dark Blues’ 2-1 victory over Poland in Warsaw in November.
The 28-year-old, who has endured such horrendous luck with injury throughout his career, suffering two anterior cruciate ligament injuries, managed to start 38 games in all competitions last season, racking up over 3,400 minutes, the most in a single campaign of his entire professional career.
Thus, Souttar was a reliable figure, both in terms of performance and availability, so should be a central pillar for Martin.
5 LB: Rıdvan Yılmaz
Left-backs Rıdvan Yılmaz and Jefté appeared to have some sort of timeshare agreement last season, but most would agree which of the pair impressed more.
The Türkiye international did have to deal with various injury issues throughout the campaign, but did impress when available, with then-manager Ferguson stating “he’s become a big player”, adding “he’s one player I can rely on”.
Still only 24 years old, Yılmaz has the potential to get even better too, so he can be trusted to start on the left side.
6 CM: Metinho – new signing
According to widespread reports, including by the Daily Record, Rangers are interested in signing midfielder Metinho, claiming that the 22-year-old is valued at £5m by his parent club Troyes, who are owned by the City Football Group.
The defensive midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at Basel, helping the RotBlau win the Swiss Super League and Coupe de Suisse double, starting as they beat FC Biel-Bienne in the final of the latter in Bern last Sunday.
He has previously been nicknamed ‘the Brazilian Paul Pogba’ due to their stylistic similarities, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout believes he is “very talented”, suggesting Metinho would be worth spending £5m on.
7 CM: Nicolas Raskin
Rangers’ Player of the Season, and rightly so, was Nicolas Raskin, so keeping hold of the Belgian international this summer will be vitally important.
Former manager Philippe Clement stated recently that his compatriot “would fit perfectly in the Premier League”, with Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider having previously documented Leeds United’s interest, following their promotion.
Nevertheless, if the Gers harbour any hopes of negotiating Champions League qualifying, and ultimately wrestling the title away from Celtic, they simply cannot afford sell the Belgian.
8 CM: Mohamed Diomandé
Another Rangers midfielder earning admiring glances from south of the border is Mohamed Diomandé, with TEAMtalk claiming that Everton are one of six Premier League outfits chasing the Côte d’Ivoire international’s signature.
The 23-year-old racked up 54 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring six times, including in the League Cup Final against Celtic, as well as during the 4-1 Europa League demolition of Nice by the French Riviera.
Ivory Coast manager Emerse Faé praised Diomandé’s “great season”, with the midfielder having become a regular for les Éléphants during the last year, so he is one Martin will want to build around.
9 RW: Largie Ramazani – new signing
In search of greater attacking firepower, could Rangers’ new owners use their connections to get this deal over the line?
49ers Enterprises have now completed their takeover of Rangers, and they also own Leeds United, with Paraag Marathe the Chairman at Elland Road.
Thus, according to reports, they are planning to use this connection to make a move for Largie Ramazani, who is expected to leave Leeds this summer, having seen only 963 minutes of action during his debut campaign in West Yorkshire, starting a mere 17 EFL Championship fixtures.
Before that however, the winger had impressed at Almería, with Karim Bouaicha of Breaking the Lines describing him as a breakout star in La Liga, adding that he possesses the quality to perform at a “high level” in one of Europe’s best leagues, hence why Leeds paid a reported £10m to sign him in the first place, but could Rangers secure a cut-price deal?
10 ST: Jamie Vardy – new signing
In potentially one of the blockbuster signings of the summer, could Jamie Vardy be heading north of Hadrian’s Wall?
Now 38 years old, the striker has left Leicester City, having scored exactly 200 goals in 500 appearances for the Foxes, very aesthetically pleasing numbers for fans of symmetry, with whom he won the Premier League title and the FA Cup.
Now, reports, via the Daily Mail, claim that Rangers are one of the clubs in contention to sign Vardy and, despite his age, he’d surely score a bucket load of goals in Scotland.
