Change is in the air at Ibrox, but it’s coming with a heavy dose of growing pains. Rangers find themselves at a crucial crossroads after a bruising 3-1 home defeat to Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League play-off, and with key defender Ben Davies on the verge of a permanent exit. The events of the last week have thrown the Scottish giants’ ambitions and internal dynamics into sharp relief, raising questions about the club’s direction, the manager’s approach, and the patience of a restless fan base.
Let’s start with the action on the pitch. On August 19, Rangers’ European dreams took a major hit as they conceded three goals in the opening 20 minutes against Club Brugge. The Ibrox faithful, expecting a raucous European night, were left stunned. The Belgians struck after just three minutes, doubled their lead by the seventh, and added a third before the clock hit 20, sending a cacophony of boos raining down from the stands. It was, by all accounts, a nightmare start for Russell Martin’s side—a team already under scrutiny after a string of inconsistent performances.
Yet, amid the chaos, there was a flicker of hope. Rangers managed to stem the bleeding and snatched a second-half goal, keeping their Champions League hopes alive—if only just. With the return leg looming in Belgium, Martin knows his side must dig deep to overturn the deficit. "That's as hard as it will ever be for the players on the pitch. I'm proud of how they responded," Martin told reporters after the match. "We concede a crazy goal and don't respond anywhere near well enough. Then we concede out of anxiety and make decisions based on desperation. The game plan went out the window."
Martin’s candor didn’t stop there. He acknowledged the emotional turmoil in the stadium and the club’s long-standing fragility. "The precursor to change is pain," he said, urging supporters to stay the course as the club rebuilds. "I understand the intensity and emotion here but it can't change the way we work and become a weight around the players' necks. There has been fragility in this club for a long, long time. The club has bounced around different plans and it's been hinged on emotions. Now we have owners that understand where the club has been, where it's at, and where it's going."
Still, the manager’s words did little to quell the fury of the Ibrox crowd. The boos were relentless—echoing at halftime and again at the final whistle. The fans’ patience is wearing thin, and the pundits weren’t holding back either. BBC Scotland’s Tom English put it bluntly: "If Russell Martin doesn't change, he will get the sack. You can't keep defending like that, because you will lose games. He either adapts or he won't be here very long." Former Rangers striker Billy Dodds echoed the sentiment, saying, "Russell Martin has to show things are changing but they don't seem to be. Signing 10 players is meant to make things better but it remains to be seen if they're better than the players here before."
Allan McGregor, the legendary Rangers goalkeeper, questioned the team’s mentality: "Why does it take going behind to get the enthusiasm and start going forward? Why can't Rangers do that from the start? It seems at the start everybody is a bit fearful of making a mistake." Steven Thompson, another former striker, was equally direct: "Rangers have shown they can hurt teams, but unless they sort the defending, this will keep happening. I don't think they have it in them to go there and get a clean sheet and that's what they need."
Fans, too, didn’t mince words. Sandy, a lifelong supporter, lamented, "The club have been going backwards since they sacked Giovanni Van Bronckhorst for one bad result. He was the club's opportunity to progress, but usual club failings and fan attitude killed that. Since then the manager appointments have been second rate and inexperienced." Robbie called it "one of the worst managerial appointments ever in the history of a once proud club," while Richard H. questioned the logic behind Martin’s hiring after a difficult spell at Southampton.
Against this backdrop of uncertainty and criticism, Rangers are also bracing for a significant change in personnel. Ben Davies, the experienced 30-year-old central defender, looks set to leave Ibrox permanently after being frozen out of Russell Martin’s plans. Both Queens Park Rangers and Oxford United are vying for his signature, with QPR eager to add seasoned stability to their back line and Oxford, newly promoted to the Championship, desperate to reinforce Gary Rowett’s squad for a tough campaign ahead.
Davies spent last season on loan at Birmingham City, where he was a key figure in their record-breaking EFL League One promotion campaign, starting 40 matches. Birmingham had pushed to sign him permanently, reportedly tabling a bid of around £750,000, but talks fell through earlier in the summer. That opened the door for other Championship suitors, and now, with Rangers eager to free up wages and reshape the squad, Davies’ departure seems all but certain.
It’s been a turbulent spell for Davies at Rangers. Signed from Liverpool in 2022 under Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, he struggled to settle in Glasgow, hampered by injuries and inconsistent form. Over two seasons, he made 58 appearances and scored once—a memorable goal against Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League. But despite his composure on the ball and ability to play out from the back, Davies never quite fit into the physical demands of the Scottish game. He now finds himself on the fringes, alongside the likes of Jose Cifuentes, Clinton Nsiala, and Leon King, all out of the first-team picture as Martin looks to the future.
For Rangers, Davies’ exit is as much about squad evolution as it is about finances. He remains one of the highest earners at the club, and his departure would free up crucial wages for Martin to pursue a new left-sided central defender—especially after a move for Nobel Mendy fell through earlier this month. The manager’s desire to reshape the squad is clear, but whether he will be given the time and support to see his vision through remains to be seen.
So, where does this leave Rangers? The club is at a tipping point. The Champions League tie is still alive, though the odds are long. The manager is under scrutiny, the fans are restless, and the transfer window is bringing more questions than answers. Yet, in the words of Russell Martin, "The tie is still open. We have the privilege of hunting and chasing. We go in as underdogs—I’ll enjoy that and I think the players will as well."
Next week in Belgium could define the early chapters of Martin’s reign. For now, all eyes are on whether Rangers can summon the resilience and quality needed to turn their fortunes around—on and off the pitch.
