The Glasgow Rangers could be a big game for Russell Martin as they face Hibernian at Ibrox in the League Cup quarterfinals this afternoon.
Journalist Keith Jackson recently explained that he has his work behind the scenes if the board decides to say goodbye to his manager in the coming weeks.
Speaking at Daily Records Hotline Live, the reporter insisted: “We understand that there is a call, that there is a back channeling, and the ranger is currently speaking about potential alternatives and rings potential alternatives if they decide they can’t back Russell Martin.
“It sounds very much to me like they’re trying to get something in place in case the Rangers get them to take action this weekend when they play the Hibbs in the League Cup quarterfinals.”
These quotes suggest that this weekend’s defeat against Hibernian could be the board’s final straw, as they won’t be able to win the Guards five times from the Scottish Premiership, the Champions League by the end of September.
This means that Martin may have to mastermind the victory at Ibrox to save his job. To do this, one of the decisions he should make is to mercilessly throw Mikey Moore out of the starting lineup.
Why should Mikey Moore be dropped by the Rangers?
The 18-year-old starlet arrived as an exciting signature on the seasonal loan transfer from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer period.
Moore was described as a player with “possible superstar” by analyst Ben Matinson, but the Gards are still waiting to see the best of Ibrox’s younger winger.
England Youth International scored one goal for Tottenham Hotspur at the senior level in the Europa League against Elfsborg before temporarily moving to Glasgow in the summer.
Moore is waiting for the Rangers’ first goal after five appearances in all competitions. The youngsters are not yet impressed with his performance on the Scottish giant side. So he should be dropped from the side for this game.
Martin gave the Spurs lender a start to the Celtic and Hart in each of the final two matches of the Scottish premiership, but the forward did not do enough in these games to suggest that he should maintain his place for this game.
25/26 Premiership | Mikey Moore | Percentile Rank vs Winger |
|---|---|---|
xg | 0.04 | Lower 10% |
the goal | 0.00 | Bottom 3% |
Shah | 0.24 | Bottom 24% |
assist | 0.00 | Bottom 3% |
Possibility of being created | 1 | Bottom 3% |
Dribbling success rate | 33.3% | Bottom 24% |
Statistics via FOTMOB | ||
As you can see from the table above, Moore hasn’t worked well on the top of the pitch in his three appearances, including one substitute outing in this season’s premiership.
The British Wideman has not fully offered the goal as a scorer or creator of the Scottish giants. So he rarely produces what Martin needs to save his job against Hibernian.
With this in mind, the head coach must mercilessly throw him out of the starting lineup and create space for another attacker to come to the team to win the Rangers game this afternoon.
Martin needs to secure the club’s position in the semi-finals and unleash a player who can make a real difference in the final third to save his job. So he should bring Findlay Curtis to his team.
Why Findlay Curtis can save Russell Martin’s job
The 18-year-old star, Moore’s age, was an unused replacement in Ibrox’s previous 2-0 defeat to Hart at the premiere. He has not started the Rangers game since a 1-1 draw with the Panathinaikos in July.
It’s time to finally unleash the Scots again from the start, as he could become a game-changing attacker where he could win a Rangers match and help the manager avoid the losses he could see him lose his job.
Curtis first appeared as an option for the Scottish Giants’ first team towards the end of the 2024/25 campaign, supporting one goal in five appearances per Transfermarkt.
The teenage talent began his opening match against Panatinaikos this season and named himself with a sublime goal in Champions League qualifying, as shown in the clip above.
However, the two feet against the Panathinaikos are the only two games Curtis has started in all competitions this season despite scoring goals against Aroa Athletic against St Mirren in the League Cup and against the Aroa Athletic against St Mirren in the Premiership.
Opposition | Min | the goal |
|---|---|---|
Panathinaikos (H) | 75 | 1 |
Panathinaikos (a) | 59 | 0 |
ViktoriaPlzen (H) | 5 | 0 |
Dundee (H) | 13 | 0 |
Polymerizing aloe (H) | 6 | 1 |
St. Mirren (a) | 14 | 1 |
Club Bruges (a) | 45 | 0 |
Celtic (H) | 8 | 0 |
Statistics through the Transfer Market | ||
As you can see from the table above, Curtis had a decent effect from a wide position at the top of the pitch, despite the limited minutes of the pitch.
Scotland U21 manager Scot Gemmill said he “has an impact on the game when he has the chance” for the Rangers so far this season.
The 18-year-old star regularly affected the B-team game before the first team appeared, with four goals and three assists earning just eight assists, according to Transfermarkt.
This shows that Curtis is able to deliver consistently impressive performances in the final third with goals and assists. Now it’s up to Martin to offer the young people another opportunity to showcase his quality on his first team with Hebernian today.
Curtis has the quality that offers a way beyond Mikey Moore on the left flank, as evidenced by his form on the B team and senior side.
