Pressure is mounting in Glasgow as Rangers prepare for what could be a season-defining week, with their Champions League dreams hanging by a thread and domestic form faltering. The Light Blues, under manager Russell Martin, are set to travel to Belgium for a high-stakes second leg against Club Brugge on August 27, 2025, desperate to overturn a 3-1 deficit from the first leg. Just days later, they face arch-rivals Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the Scottish Premiership season—a match that could either spark a revival or deepen an already worrying crisis.
Rangers’ struggles are no secret. For the first time since 1989, the club has failed to win any of their opening three league matches. Three consecutive 1-1 draws have left them languishing in seventh place, a daunting six points behind reigning champions Celtic. The most recent disappointment came against St Mirren on August 24, where a late equalizer from Findlay Curtis salvaged a point but did little to appease the frustrated supporters who made their feelings known with a chorus of boos at full time.
Manager Russell Martin, only nine games into his Ibrox tenure, finds himself under intense scrutiny. With just three wins, four draws, and two losses, the pressure is palpable. The upcoming fixtures could very well determine his immediate future at the club. As one pundit put it, "While some sections of the fans will sympathise with the Scottish manager for the situation he finds himself in currently, the 39-year-old head coach has to take responsibility for the poor performances."
Midfielder Joe Rothwell, one of the summer signings, has become a focal point in the debate over Rangers’ recruitment strategy. After arriving from Bournemouth—having previously played a role in Leeds United’s Championship title win—Rothwell has struggled to make the desired impact. He’s not alone. Max Aarons, another recruit from the English market, has also come under fire. Club legend Kris Boyd didn’t mince words on Sky Sports: "He has brought a few players in, but I think he needs to be very, very careful. He keeps going back to the English market as well, inflated, overrated for me, especially when you go down the leagues. There is a long list of Rangers players who have arrived from the Championship or below who have failed here. And I am afraid to say, at this moment in time, Max Aarons and Joe Rothwell seem to be falling more towards the Kieran Dowell, Ben Davies, Todd Cantwell, Tom Lawrence category than what they do with the likes of Connor Goldson and James Tavernier. Right now, Rangers are a million miles away from where they need to be."
Rothwell himself has acknowledged the challenges facing the squad and the disappointment of the fans. "Speaking to a few people, I knew what to expect before coming here. The fans just want the results and we want to give it to them and at the minute, it's just not quite going how we want it to go - but obviously they're entitled to be disappointed," he said after the draw with St Mirren. "But we just need them to obviously stick with us and rally together. Hopefully then we're not far away from getting the results. It doesn't seem to be quite clicking at the minute, individually and collectively. Speaking on my behalf, there is no one more disappointed with our form at the minute than myself but as I say, we just need to stick together, keep working hard and doing what we're doing on the training ground. Then, hopefully, we're not far away."
Looking ahead to the Brugge clash, Rothwell remains optimistic despite the daunting task. "We were disappointed with how the Brugge game went during the week, especially first half. I think second half we came out and showed more of what we want to do. If we can go there and turn that around, then Sunday's a huge game for everyone. We know much it means to everyone, how much it means inside the change room and hopefully we can go there and get positive result."
The predicted lineup for the trip to Belgium suggests significant changes. Findlay Curtis, whose late goal against St Mirren was a rare bright spot, is expected to force his way into the starting eleven, possibly at the expense of Oliver Antman. Joe Rothwell and Max Aarons, both under scrutiny, are predicted to start on the bench, with Mohamed Diomande and James Tavernier likely to be preferred in midfield and defense, respectively. Nasser Djiga may also return in place of Emmanuel Fernandez, as Martin seeks a formula that can deliver results on the continent.
But the problems run deeper than team selection. The atmosphere around Ibrox is tense, with supporters growing weary of unfulfilled promises and a lack of progress. The board, including Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises, are feeling the heat as well, with fan mutiny a real risk if fortunes don’t improve quickly. The situation was further complicated by Hamza Igamane’s refusal to come on as a substitute against St Mirren, leading to speculation that he could be banished from the first team entirely.
The stakes for the next two matches couldn’t be higher. Rangers’ hopes of playing Champions League football this season rest on overturning the two-goal deficit against Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium. A successful comeback would not only secure a place in Europe’s elite competition but also provide a massive confidence boost ahead of the Old Firm derby. As Rothwell put it, "If we can go there and turn that tie around, then it'll obviously give us massive confidence going into the weekend game. Then who knows where it can take us if we manage to pick up three points? It can be a defining week. There’s two massive games in two different competitions and obviously we want to be playing Champions League football. That's the aim, so if we can go out there and take the momentum into Sunday, then that hopefully can be a season-defining moment for us."
Domestically, the picture is equally precarious. Should Rangers fail to beat Celtic at Ibrox on August 31, they risk falling nine points behind their greatest rivals—a gap that would be incredibly difficult to bridge, even at this early stage of the campaign. As the pressure mounts, Martin’s ability to inspire his squad and make the right tactical calls will be tested like never before.
For now, all eyes are on Belgium and the Jan Breydel Stadium, where Rangers will fight to keep their European adventure alive. The outcome of this week’s fixtures could set the tone for the remainder of the season, for better or worse. With the fanbase restless and the stakes sky-high, the next few days promise to be anything but dull in the blue half of Glasgow.
