Russell Martin’s Rangers destroys weakened Victoria Plzen

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Ibrox Noise

·6 agosto 2025

Russell Martin’s Rangers destroys weakened Victoria Plzen

We want to focus on how well Rangers played v Plzen, because Russell Martin, having shoved square pegs in round holes all season, decided to use round pegs instead. Rangers run riot v weakened Victoria Plzen.

Lo and behold, it worked using an actual left back at left back (even if Jefte isn’t up to it in general). It worked, getting rid of James Tavernier, Nico Raskin, Kieran Dowell and Danilo. All four have been dire this season.

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There is, however, that caveat we mentioned earlier. Plzen had sold their star man Pavel Šulc only 24 hours earlier.

Bear in mind as their playmaker he’s their lynchpin. 35 goals and assists last season in 55 appearances. Four goals and assists in four appearances this campaign already.

The boy can play, and losing him lost everything Plzen have had for the past two seasons. It’s hard to compensate for losing your best player the day before a vital Champions League qualifier.

In fairness to Plzen they made no excuses:

“I didn’t see this coming at all. I imagined the match going differently. Rangers stripped us naked. There’s nothing else to say, they combined brilliantly, we couldn’t handle it and they scored three goals. We defended badly for their first goal and Rangers worked it really well. I don’t think many teams could have defended it. The second goal was a penalty which I don’t think should have been awarded and Rangers took their third goal well too.”

That’s Lukáš Červ from their midfield, who added as Rangers run riot v weakened Victoria Plzen:

“It didn’t have to be 3-0 because we had chances too. Yes, we were without Pavel Sulc, who signed for Lyon and he was definitely missed, but we have other great players here and we have to cope without him. He left, that’s just football. We have to replace him. It’s a pity what happened, but there is still the second leg to come. We’ll give everything we have in Plzen and see if it will be enough.”

That is indeed football, and it’s not an excuse. Players move.

But losing your Messi does impact and Rangers rightly took full advantage in Govan of Plzen effectively losing their main man.

It also helped that Martin finally conceded that his selections haven’t been working and changed it. We thought him too stubborn to admit he’s been wrong. Admittedly he hasn’t confessed that in words, but in actions he sure has.

Onwards and upwards? Let’s see what he gives us v Dundee…