Raskin rampant for Rangers – here’s what happens now | OneFootball

When Nico Raskin came to Rangers Ibrox Noise was a big fan. We dismissed his nonsense at Standard Liege because we were getting a £10M Belgian rising star for effectively £1M. Is Nico Raskin vital to Rangers?

The fact his character was debatable was irrelevant to us at the time, and his performances, generally, were of a hungry player with a lot to offer.

Position

Raskin was a DM, harrying, hussling, and alongside Todd Cantwell offered a major duo in the middle.

But then he made a comment in Belgian press on an international break that changed the picture. A comment which flew in the face of his pro-Rangers stance up till then.

And that was that Rangers was ‘just a step’ in his career. He dismissed the club completely as an irrelevance and made it clear this club wasn’t important to him, it was just a way to progress to the next step.

Truth is the reaction from fans at the time wasn’t positive either. Major fan groups told him he could talk like that if his performances on the pitch were backing it up. They weren’t.

Gone cold

And Ibrox Noise rather went cold on Nico. The contract nonsense, which is still ongoing incidentally, doesn’t help – and it’s the same as happened at Liege. He wouldn’t sign a deal, fell out with the manager, and ended up with the B team.

Nico is a fiery character, and a controversial one. Are Rangers better with him in the side? The obvious answer is yes, if we base it on a cup win with a poor Hibs, distracted by protests and with a significantly empty Ibrox, along with owner Cavenagh in attendance.

He’s even changing position, less of a DM now and more of an 8. It’s a change that is benefiting him.

Belgium

But the obvious reality is he’s becoming a regular for Belgium which is no mean feat and it’s hard to make a case for him not starting.

He’s become a completely undeserved icon. He’s a lad who can certainly play but who has been a big part himself of the controversies around him the past two months. His ex-managers have not exactly flattered his personality either, most of them admitting he’s pretty much the kind of player who ‘talks back’. He’s too contrary. But the hatred for Martin and how rotten Rangers have been has meant Raskin has got away and been outright lauded for stuff that under normal circumstances he’d be a complete fan outcast.

But the fact is Rangers’ midfield is dire, and it needs all the help it can get.

Raskin is definitely one of Rangers’ best in there, and if the relationship between he and Russell Martin can be professional and respectful, mutually, then Rangers will benefit. Nico Raskin vital to Rangers.