Glasgow Rangers return to action in the Europa League this evening as they travel away from Ibrox for their second match of the league phase.
The Light Blues were beaten 1-0 last week at Ibrox, in a game that could have ended by a greater margin of defeat, but they did win in their last Scottish Premiership game.
Russell Martin’s side beat Livingston 2-1 away from home in the league on Sunday, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from substitute Max Aarons.
One of the players who should be dropped from the starting line-up that featured on Sunday is attacking midfielder Thelo Aasgaard, who did not do enough to warrant keeping his place.
Why Rangers should drop Thelo Aasgaard
The Norway international was signed on a permanent deal from Luton Town in the summer transfer window to provide an attacking threat from the middle of the park.
So far, though, the 23-year-old whiz has failed to deliver a single goal or assist in seven matches in all competitions, per Sofascore, which shows that he has offered very little at the top end of the pitch.
Aasgaard did not create a single chance, register any shots on target, or complete any dribbles in 73 minutes on the pitch against Livingston on Sunday, per Sofascore, which is why Martin should ruthlessly ditch him from the XI for tonight’s trip to Sturm Graz.
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For several reasons, including Aasgaard’s disappointing performances and Mohamed Diomande’s suspension, Martin should trial a new 4-4-2 formation by unleashing Youssef Chermiti over the Norwegian talent.
Why Martin should change his Rangers formation
Rangers have lost their last four European matches this season by an aggregate score of 12-2, which shows that what they have been doing on the European stage has not been good enough.
One issue that the Gers have had in their last two games, in particular, is that their centre-forward has looked isolated and too easily marked out of the game. It was an issue for Chermiti against Genk and for Bojan Miovski against Livingston.
Minutes
80
90
Ground duels won
3/9
1/5
Aerial duels won
2/6
1/7
Fouls won
0
1
Shots
0
2
As you can see in the table above, both strikers were dominated on the ground and in the air in those matches, winning one foul and taking two shots in 170 minutes between them.
This is why Martin should switch to a 4-4-2 from the regular 4-3-3 for this clash with Sturm Graz to get Miovski and the summer signing from Everton in the team to occupy the opposition’s defenders, hopefully increasing their chances of winning duels and retaining possession for the away side.
Chermiti, who was described as “powerful” by writer Kai Watson, has not scored a competitive goal since he left Sporting to join Everton in the summer of 2023, which suggests that he is not a striker who is full of confidence at the moment.
Therefore, playing him alongside a more experienced and proven goalscorer like Miovski could make a lot of sense to take some of the pressure off his shoulders, both in terms of duels and mentally.
The Macedonia international proved that he can score goals on a regular basis during his time with Aberdeen, as shown in the graphic above, and playing him alongside another forward could help to get him back to his best.
Rangers have simply not been good enough in Europe this season, as evidenced by their results in their last four games, and that is why Martin should get creative and test out a new formation in this evening’s game.
Given how poor the performances have been in Europe and how badly their strikers have fared individually, pairing Miovski and Chermiti could be an interesting and effective solution to their problems in and out of possession.