The brief and turbulent tenure of Russell Martin at Rangers may be a distant memory for most, but one of his parting shots is ringing increasingly true at Ibrox. Following a 1-1 draw with Motherwell on the season's opening day, the former boss claimed some players needed to 'drop their egos'. It now appears Belgian midfielder Nico Raskin was a prime target of that critique.
A Bitter Stand-Off and a Fading Influence
Martin's time in Glasgow was short and unsuccessful, yet his assessment of the squad's mentality has proven prescient. His public criticism led to a bitter stand-off with Raskin, and with results not forthcoming, the supporters' sympathy largely lay with the player. However, with the English manager long departed, a pressing question now hangs over the 23-year-old: what has he actually delivered this season?
The answer, particularly after last Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle, appears to be very little. Raskin was conspicuously absent from the key battles in midfield, where Hearts' Cammy Devlin dominated proceedings. This performance was emblematic of a wider issue; for all his technical ability, Raskin's influence in major fixtures has consistently fallen short of the standard demanded at Rangers.
The Case for a Ruthless January Sale
Alongside fellow experienced international Mohamed Diomande, Raskin failed to impose himself against Hearts. These are players around whom the team should be built, yet their impact in crucial moments is too frequently negligible. With Rangers spending close to £30 million last summer, funds for the upcoming January window are expected to be limited.
Selling an asset like Raskin, whose contract runs until 2028 and who remains a Belgian international, represents a smart strategy to generate capital. It is a ruthless but necessary calculation: the romantic potential of what a player might become must be weighed against the harsh reality of their current contributions. For manager Danny Rohl, who needs finance to begin a squad overhaul, cashing in on Raskin could provide the perfect start.
Time to Move On and Fund the Rebuild
The cold truth for Rangers is that this season holds little left to fight for. European football is gone and the title race is all but over. The focus must shift decisively to reconstruction. While some fans maintain that Raskin is the best midfielder in Scotland on his day, those days have been vanishingly rare in the current campaign.
The club now faces a clear decision. Persist with a talented but inconsistent performer, or be pragmatic, take the money, and reinvest it into Rohl's project. The evidence from Tynecastle, and indeed from many big games prior, suggests the latter is the only logical course. In the end, it seems Russell Martin might have been right all along about the need for certain egos to be checked at the Ibrox door.
