‘On to the next’ – Conor Coady reacts to Jack Butland message amid Rangers pursuit
Rangers will be looking to bolster their squad further following their Champions League Second Qualifying win over Panathinaikos.
The Gers lead 2-0 going into the second leg in Greece and despite coming under pressure from the hosts, Djeidi Gassama’s goal proved crucial as Rangers progressed 3-1 on aggregate.
Czech Republic side Viktoria Plzen await in the next round, with the first leg at Ibrox in under a week’s time after Rangers kick-off their Scottish Premiership campaign at Motherwell at the weekend.
Manager Russel Martin is still looking to add to his squad with Luuk de Jong and Conor Coady linked with moves.
Butland makes number one claim
The goalkeeping position was also one Martin was looking to upgrade in following a season to forget for Jack Butland.
Butland though has impressed in both legs against Panathinaikos and is starting the season as the undisputed number one in the squad.
Following their win in Athens, the 32-year-old sent a message to Rangers supporters, which was liked by Coady.
Butland posted “on to the next,” with a bear and union jack emoji.
Martin eyes European experience after Greek victory
Football Insider Verdict
Two more tests await before Rangers can participate in the Champions League league stage and their trip to Greece was an early season marker for Martin.
The former Southampton boss still has plenty of work to do, with the squad still adapting to his possession based style.
Rangers gave the ball away cheaply when under pressure and Gassama’s equaliser came at the perfect time as Panathinaikos looked in the ascendancy
It points to more leadership being required on the pitch and Coady and De Jong could both bring that in abundance to Ibrox.
| Apperances | 534 |
| Goals | 28 |
| Assists | 16 |
Coady especially is required at the back with 22-year-old Wolves loanee Nasser Djiga still finding his feet after a season playing little football.
Defensively, Rangers needed to strengthen after last season and Martin has also already signed full-back Max Aarons and centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez.
With the games coming fast, Martin could do with added depth in positions to aid a title charge in Scotland and ensure Rangers can compete in the Champions League.
Coady has experience in the Europa League with Wolves, whilst fellow rumoured signing De Jong also does have Champions League experience.