Nacho Novo says Rangers are ‘missing’ something that not even Russell Martin could have fixed
Rangers’ hierarchy finally pulled the trigger and ended Russell Martin’s woeful, short spell as manager at Ibrox after a 1-1 draw at Falkirk.
Rangers’ 1-1 draw against Falkirk was the final nail in the coffin for owners, 49ers Enterprises, as they dismissed Martin after less than five months in charge.
Martin became Rangers’ shortest-serving head coach ever, spending just 123 days at the club, 76 days less than Paul Le Guen in second place on that list.
Steven Gerrard is the favourite to take over at Rangers, but Danny Rohl and Sean Dyche have also been touted to replace Martin.
Nacho Novo says Rangers lack leadership
Rangers have won just one league game all season, and even that required some late heroics from Max Aarons to see the Glasgow side over the line.
In an interview with The Scotsman, Rangers cult hero Nacho Novo has revealed what he believes is missing at the club.
Novo said: “They’re missing leaders. When I played, we used to have Barry Ferguson and Fernando Ricksen as the captains.
“It’s not just about being the captain, though; we had seven or eight guys who wanted to win, all on the same pitch. In this current team, I don’t see one. [Nico] Raskin, maybe?
“You need to have a winning mentality [at Rangers]. All the time. You go 1-0 down, you just keep going. Keep winning. That’s all it’s about.”
Nacho Novo urges Rangers board to make recruitment changes
Novo also hinted at how Rangers’ recent run of recruitment has been poor, leaving the club in their current predicament.
Novo continued: “The scouting at Rangers is also not great. It’s so easy to say, but why not take on Arthur Numan for it [scouting] in the Netherlands, [Lorenzo] Amoruso in Italy, and me in Spain.
“See what type of players are there, because we know how to win leagues, what mentality players need to come and play for the club.
| Rangers’ next five fixtures | Competition |
| Rangers vs Dundee United | Scottish Premiership |
| Brann vs Rangers | Europa League |
| Rangers vs Kilmarnock | Scottish Premiership |
| Hibernian vs Rangers | Scottish Premiership |
| Celtic vs Rangers | Scottish League Cup |
“We’ve been there, we see it. Get Pedro Mendes involved. So many professionals who know the game, why won’t we use them?
“You can have statistics; it can help. But that doesn’t tell me anything. I need to go and watch those players, five or six games, and see the person. Everyone has changed these days.”
As Rangers look set to enter yet another new era, the club may have to look to a structural change of a magnitude similar to Novo’s suggestion if they’re to compete regularly for titles in Scotland again.