Just when Russell Martin thought things could not get any worse for him as Rangers manager, well….
On Wednesday night, the Gers were demolished 6-0 by Club Brugge at Jan Breydelstadion, all the goals coming in the first 50 minutes, before the Belgian side showed mercy.
Having also been humbled 3-1 at home, this 9-1 annihilation is the first time the Gers have conceded nine or more in a two-legged European tie since a 12-4 aggregate defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt all the way back in May 1960.
So, the Light Blues will now take their place in the Europa League, but will Martin still be in charge by the time they play their matchday one fixture in late-September?
Wednesday was only his tenth match in charge, but he’s yet to collect three points in the Premiership, drawing all three league games 1-1 to date, ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm derby against Celtic at Ibrox.
Thus, Martin will be desperate to improve his squad ahead of Monday’s deadline, so could Rangers be about to bolster their midfield options?
Rangers' midfield conundrum
Ahead of the mid-week battering in Brugge, Martin’s midfield selection was the headline team news.
He elected to start three new signings, namely Joe Rothwell, Thelo Aasgaard and Lyall Cameron, thereby leaving last season’s player of the year Nicolas Raskin and his usual partner Mohamed Diomandé on the bench.
Both were introduced at half time, suggesting Martin recognised the error of his ways, but it would’ve been unthinkable last season that neither would be starting a do-or-die European tie, so is finding a third member of a midfield trio, one that gets the best out of them, a key item on their transfer window agenda?
Well, according to a report by Markaj News, Rangers are “monitoring” Real Valladolid midfielder Selim Amallah.
They add that the Moroccan international will almost certainly be on the move before the transfer window closes, following Blanquivioletas’ relegation from La Liga last season, with Ligue 1 outfit Angers also “very interested”.
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Football Transfers estimate that the 28-year-old is worth €1.2m (around £1m), so could he soon swap Estadio José Zorrilla for Ibrox?
What Selim Amallah would bring to Rangers
Amallah began his career in Belgium, the country of his birth, bouncing around a few smaller clubs before being picked up by Standard Liège in 2019, making 97 appearances for les Rouches, one of which came against Rangers in the Europa League in 2020, a game made famous by Kemar Roofe’s astonishing goal from inside his own half.
Since 2023, Amallah has called Spain home, joining Valladolid, spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Valencia after Blanquivioletas were relegated to the Segunda División, before returning to Valladolid again last season, although they were relegated once again.
Despite the fact his team won only four games all season, the Moroccan international largely impressed, with writer Kai Watson labelling him “versatile”, adding that he has been primarily “used in a deeper role” since moving to Spain, but possesses “flair and arrogance”, while also being technically strong and a “good ball carrier”.
So, let’s assess his statistics in La Liga last season.
Minutes
1,376
14th
Goals
3
3rd
Shots
21
5th
Key passes
13
6th
Progressive passes
57
6th
Shot-creating actions
32
6th
Tackles
30
8th
Blocks
24
6th
Interceptions
14
9th
Ball recoveries
73
6th
Average SofaScore rating
6.77
5th
As the table outlines, despite limited minutes due to injury, Amallah ranked generally pretty high for a wide variety of metrics at Valladolid last season.
He was a creative force, ranked in the top six for assists, key passes and progressive passes, while also doing the same when it came to out of possession defensive metrics too, namely blocks and ball recoveries.
All of this underlines why Amallah would surely complement Raskin well.
The Belgian is often asked to do everything in Rangers’ feeble midfield, required to both win the ball back and then create a moment of magic at the other end of the park.
So, having someone else who can do both would alleviate much of the responsibility that has been foisted upon Raskin’s shoulders, thereby helping to get the best out of Rangers’ best midfielder.
Thus, seemingly available at the cut-price, this is a deal the Light Blues should endeavour to get done because, well, he can’t be any worse than Rothwell can he?
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