‘Oh my goodness’ – Ally McCoist horrified by Nasser Djiga and Rangers
Ally McCoist was absolutely mortified by Nasser Djiga and Rangers’ display against Club Brugge in the Champions League 3-1 defeat.
Russell Martin’s stubborn tactics against Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier saw the Gers fall 3-1 as they sit on the verge of being knocked out of the competition.
Djeidi Gassama was promising yet, after 20 minutes and being 3-0 down, Rangers fan marched out in disbelief at what they were witnessing.
In what has been a rocky start to life at the Ibrox, Martin is certainly not a fan favourite and the shambolic showing by his side and individuals like Djiga have been picked up by former Teddy Bears forward McCoist.
Ally McCoist likens the first half to ‘Keystone Cops’ as Rangers crumble at the Ibrox
Speaking on talkSPORT (20 August) the day after the spectacle in Glasgow, ex-Rangers striker McCoist gave his thoughts to Alan Brazil on an awful performance from the Gers as they stare Champions League elimination in the face.
Elaborating on an appalling night for Light Blues fans, he said: “It was Keystone Cops that first 45 minutes. Oh, you’ve never seen anything like it!
“I didn’t go [to the match]…Oh my goodness, you’re two-nil down after six minutes, 10 seconds or something!
“I got to the stage, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I mean, the first half defensively, jeez.”
The Scotsman then focused in on the comical first goal conceded courtesy of a mix-up between centre-back Djiga and Jack Butland, saying: “What about the first goal? I have no idea, mate [what Djiga was doing].
“He [Djiga] breaks every rule as a centre-back in the planet, doesn’t he? No ushering the ball back.”
Rangers miles off being a Champions League team
Football Insider verdict
The humbling at the hands of the Belgian side on Tuesday (19 August) night was just another reminder that this Gers side is nowhere near being able to compete in the highest tier of European football.
They scraped through ties against Viktoria Plzen and Panathinaikos, who, with all due respect, are opponents Rangers should be dispatching.
Indeed, there is the financial incentive to get into the Champions League which could boost the clubs transfer funds in the upcoming windows.
| Rangers in the Champions League qualifiers 2025-26 | |
| Rangers v Panathinaikos | 2-0 (W) |
| Panathinaikos v Rangers | 1-1 (D) |
| Rangers v Viktoria Plzen | 3-0 (W) |
| Viktoria Plzen v Rangers | 2-1 (L) |
| Rangers v Club Brugge | 1-3 (L) |
However, do the Ibrox faithful really want to see their beloved team slapped around midweek after midweek by European giants?
I think it is better to accept that there is no point challenging for a spot in the league phase when Club Brugge danced their way around the Teddy Bears.
A defeatist mindset perhaps, but the best advice is to stick to the Europa League and build on the excellence of their run to the quarter-finals last season.