Kevin Thelwell talks Russell Martin's Rangers start, Nico Ruskin's future and 12 new signings as the Ibrox side draw their first four Premier League games this season and sit six points behind title rivals Celtic.
Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell has backed Russell Martin, saying he is “one of the best” managers he has worked with.
The Ibrox manager is yet to win a Premier League match and after Sunday's goalless draw they are six points behind old rivals Celtic.
Martin came under increasing pressure after the 6-0 thrashing by Club Brugge as they lost the Champions League play-off tie 9-1 on aggregate.
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Rangers vs Celtic Scottish Premier League Match Review
After that defeat, the Rangers board backed him and Thelwell was adamant that he would turn things around.
“I've been very fortunate to have worked with some very good managers and some very good head coaches throughout my career and I have to tell you he is one of the best,” he told Rangers TV.
“He's incredibly energetic. So he takes the time to work with the players, wants to work with them and develop them, wants to be very clear about his goal, which is to make the players better and develop them.”
“He cares about the band. He cares about the results, he cares about the performances, and he cares about the staff.
Image: Rangers left a message asking for him to be sacked after they crashed out of the Champions League following a 6-0 defeat to Club Brugge.
I know I'm saying all this, but we haven't quite translated what I see every day, all that hard work, all that energy, into what we need to see on the pitch. But I'm confident it will happen.
“I know it's very easy for me to sit here and ask for patience. I'm not going to do that because I know we're working at an incredible football club that wants and needs to have a winning team very, very quickly.
“But you also need to have some perspective here because we have changed so much and hopefully over time the fans and everyone else will see again all the good work that is being done on the pitch, through the performances.”
“We need to do better”
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Rangers draw at home to Dundee
While Thelwell insists Martin still has the backing of himself and the Ibrox board, he insists results must improve quickly, while admitting fans are running out of patience.
“Obviously we need to do better,” he added.
“The reality is that what we have done so far has not been good enough and I think we all understand that it needs to be improved and we are all disappointed by that.
But I would also like to point out that there is a tremendous amount of cohesion within this building, and with the management team and the owners, who believe that we are moving in the right direction and that we can achieve the success that we all want with the group of people that we are working with now.
Pictured: Rangers have drawn four Premier League games this season.
“We will work tirelessly and make every effort to achieve this, and I also understand that this needs to be done as soon as possible.
“What I can't do is sit here and say we need patience, we need time, and people need to wait because we don't deserve it. But we just need to have some perspective.”
“Satisfied” with the transfer business
Pictured: Youssef Chermiti and Derek Cornelius joined Rangers on deadline day (Photo: Rangers FC)
Rangers made 12 new signings before the deadline, with the £10million signing of Youssef Chermiti from Everton becoming the club's most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo in 2000.
A number of players, including Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane, left the club as Martin sought to make his mark.
“I'm pleased with the job done,” added the former Everton sporting director.
“I think we have a good balance in the group and by that I mean we have some young and hungry players, players who can help us now but can also develop and stay with us for a longer period.”
Pictured: Hamza Igamane and Cyriel Dessers left Rangers this summer.
“In my opinion, we have improved interaction in all parts of the team: in defense, midfield, attack, to put it simply.
“It’s now about getting down to the real work with this group of players who are now in the same space and focusing on what we need to achieve, which is building a winning team that Rangers fans can be proud of, that the whole club can be proud of.”
What's next for Ruskin?
Pictured: Nicholas Raskin has been left out of Rangers' squad for Sunday's Old Firm draw.
Nico Raskin has been left out of Rangers' squad for Sunday's Old Firm clash following Martin's departure, insisting there was no friction in his relationship with the midfielder.
The Belgian has told the club he wants to stay and Raskin confirmed he will be invited to talk to the manager when he returns from international duty.
“What happens is he goes on international duty and comes back as a Rangers player. When he comes back, Russell and I sit down with Nico and discuss what to do next,” Thelwell said.
“It's very, very important that we all understand that we all want the same thing. We all want Rangers to be stronger. We all want Rangers to be stronger and we all want Rangers to win.
Pictured: Raskin and Martin will hold talks after the international break.
“It is also important to emphasize that this year is very important for Nico.
“He's a fantastic player. He's certainly a full-fledged Belgian player. He's got the World Cup coming up and I'm sure he'll want to be an active part of it.”
“It's important to him that he does his best for Rangers and plays for Rangers. And of course it's important to us. So we'll discuss that in due course.”
Sourse: skysports.com
