By David Herd

MATCHES NEXT WEEK:

Most Read on FollowFollow.com No change of Heart – Rangers 0 – 2 Hearts The FF Weekly Quiz Rangers quotes from the Brugge game

ST MIRREN V RANGERS PREMIERSHIP SAT 16 AUGUST 12:00

BRUGGE V RANGERS CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PLAYOFF WED 27 AUGUST 20:00

Welcome to the latest edition of the website’s weekly preview feature, where we take a look back at the last seven days, a look forward to the next week, and a look back on this week in Rangers history.

Like many fans who have watched all the pre-season friendlies then the seven competitive matches prior to Tuesday night, I was dreading the Russell Martin Rangers coming up against a quality team with good forwards. That first 20 minutes the other night was exactly those fears coming true, and there is absolutely no satisfaction for me in saying I told you so.

Watching a defensive set up and individual errors that would shame the Keystone Cops was a horrendous experience, and the feeling of abject misery listening to the booing and seeing supporters leave the stadium less than midway through the first half is an experience I hope not to repeat. And if it does happen again, it’s hard to see the Head Coach surviving the hostility and the pressure too long, regardless of how much backing he has been given inside the club or the fact it is so very early in his tenure.

I will say that no manager could legislate for the utter stupidity of that opening goal on Tuesday, and I’ll also say that watching so many players then hide as the roof caved in around them has been a depressing feature of teams from before Russell Martin arrived. But is it really a case of the same bunch of losers still letting us down? We haven’t won the last four titles, and in all four seasons we saw our team crumble when the heat was applied. But of the ten outfield players who started on Tuesday and who were on the pitch in that shambolic first half, how many were regulars in all four of those seasons. It was just one – captain John Souttar. Danilo has played the last three seasons (although never a regular starter), Raskin two and a half seasons, and Diomande one and a half. The other six who took to the pitch at just before 8pm have all arrived this summer. When do we stop blaming weak mentality and “culture”? Does it need to be all new players in the team?

For me, the team structure under the Head Coach is at least as much to blame, not just for Tuesday night, but for the succession of awful defensive displays we have witnessed. Every successful team is built on experience and organisation in defence, with a midfield in front of them that has ball winners and defensive discipline. These are the things that are non-negotiables for any winning team at any decent level, and the foundation that allows creative attackers to go out and win games. The new owners have spent north of £15M on new players, excluding what must be a few big loan fees. But they will have thrown that money away unless the Head Coach finds himself some pragmatism and puts in those foundations.

He said when appointed he understood there was no honeymoon period, and that he knew winning was the only currency we measure. Hearing now about needing to take some short term pain, and how change doesn’t happen without that pain, is not what any Rangers manager will get away with for long. He absolutely has to put solidity in defence and give his philosophy a chance to be introduced. If he doesn’t, the next few weeks sees a series of fixtures that will only go one way, and that will be the same way as his job. I genuinely think Martin has signed some very promising and exciting attacking players. Gassama, in particular, looks to be an absolute steal. Russell Martin now needs to find the right way to use these attackers in a team with the back door closed behind them.

PREDICTION TIME

I was a disallowed goal away from getting the Brugge result right, although I obviously wish I had been very wrong to say we would lose. For those of a nervous disposition, maybe skip over this next section.

ST MIRREN 2 RANGERS 2

The games champions win. And the games that for far too long, Rangers have dropped points. St Mirren are well organised, physical, and direct. That was enough for them to beat us home and away last season, and take seven points from our four matches compared to the Rangers tally of a mere four. They will absolutely fancy their chances on Sunday, and will no doubt play with three aggressive centre backs, a competitive and hard-tackling midfield, and two strong and combative forwards. They will get crosses into the box, and they are exactly the kind of team that the current Rangers set-up will struggle against if nothing changes.

It could quite easily be a case of hoping our good attacking players can outscore them, while they cause havoc in our defence. I’ll go for a repeat of the same scoreline as the last time we visited Paisley.

BRUGGE 3 RANGERS 1

It’s difficult predicting a win domestically just now, and virtually impossible to expect victory away from home in Belgium next week against a team who so easily defeated us at Ibrox a few days ago. If we are honest, Brugge played well within themselves after cantering into their three-goal lead, the second half improvement was as much to do with them being happy to stick with what they had as much as any great improvement from Rangers. I can see a similar second leg, with the Belgians doing enough to put the game out of sight, then relaxing in the closing stages to allow us a crumb of comfort.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

A personal opinion on the player who has most excelled in the past seven days.

The team are not making this easy for me! Although there were two games in the past week, virtually different teams started them, so there aren’t many who could win the award for playing well against Alloa and Brugge. This week, I think it is time for a new name as the pick of the week, and my choice wasn’t even a Rangers player until Monday.

Teenage left back Jayden Meghoma has fewer than 20 competitive first team matches under his belt down south, and was thrown into a Champions League playoff on Tuesday night months after his last competitive match. With no other left back in the squad, the youngster was put in a sink or swim situation, and after 20 minutes, must have wondered what defence he was now a part of. To his great credit, as many around him were hiding, he stood up under the pressure of the occasion and linked well going forward. On a night of very few positives, his debut was an encouraging one.