THE ATHENS ACID TEST: Steven Naismith says Panathinaikos powderkeg will show Russell Martin which players are fit to wear the Rangers jersey

Daily Mail​

22-06-2025

A change of venue for the return leg of Rangers ' Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos doesn't alter a simple fact.
Athens' Olympic Stadium, set to be confirmed as the temporary home for the Greeks while their own ramshackle Apostolos Nikolaidis ground is being renovated, will still not be a place for the faint-hearted.
Coming a week after his Ibrox tenure gets under way with the first leg in Glasgow, the task which will then await Russell Martin as he seeks to get off to the perfect start in his new role can safely be described as testing.
It's not just a stern examination of their ability which awaits his recalibrated side. Without showing the requisite nerve and character in a white-hot atmosphere, they'll flounder on foreign soil.
Steven Naismith gets the theory that Martin would be better off having drawn Brann or Servette at this juncture. He just doesn't fully subscribe to it.
Because whatever transpires in the final week of next month, he contends that his former Norwich City team-mate will know there and then which players have the mentality to cope with wearing the shirt and who among them simply aren't officer material.
'When you do experience it, it's a case of what way are you going?' said the forward who helped Walter Smith's side to a 1-1 draw away to Panathinaikos in 2008.
'Are you intimidated, or do you think this is good? That's the real root of whether you're going to be a success at Rangers or Celtic.
'It's about mentality. Do you go into that environment and think 'I'm up for that, I like a bit of this' — or do you say, 'Don't give me the ball because I'm scared?' If it's the latter, you won't be a success.
'For the last 30 years, Rangers and Celtic have signed players who are brilliant in other leagues but can't hack it here. It's all down to mentality. That's been a problem for Rangers.
'Philippe Clement made a point of buying younger players to develop, but younger players rarely have that (mentality) straight away.
'That's where they become safe when they're 1-0 down at home with 10 minutes to go and they don't want to make a brave pass or shoot from a tight angle.'
No one would ever accuse Naismith of falling into that category. Having signed for Rangers from Kilmarnock in 2007, he never looked fazed by the added scrutiny and expectation.
Some 18 years on, though, that trip to Athens is still recalled as a rare occasion where he felt close to being out of his comfort zone.
'That was one of the most hostile places ever,' he recalled. 'It was on the run to the UEFA Cup final.
'I remember, even from the warm-up. Gate 13 where the tunnel is, that's where the Ultras are. Naively, I was laughing and joking coming out for the warm-up.
'But the next minute, there were glass bottles, coins, all sorts getting launched at us. Every time you went near the tunnel, you had to sprint in and sprint out.
'The night turned out to be really good for us with Nacho (Novo) coming on and scoring to make it 1-1.
'It was a brilliant environment to play in, but very hostile.'
That tie came in mid-February after Smith's side had parachuted in from the Champions League. Rangers were already seven months into a gargantuan season in which two games a week became the norm.
This time around, Martin first must mould a new side. He then needs to get them charging out the blocks.
'That's the toughest part, how early it is,' Naismith warned. 'The Old Firm have both been put out in early rounds in the past.
'You can train as much as you want and have friendlies, but you can't replicate that intensity of competitive football.
'It's going to be really difficult. But Russ has said the two things he has to do is get results during this initial period. And recruitment has to be much better than it has been.
'That's what can set Russ and the new ownership to get off to a good start.'
Rangers' continental form has rarely been a concern of late. In numerous seasons going back to that run to Manchester in 2008, they've dispensed of some stellar names, primarily in the Europa League.
It's been their failure to deal with the bread and butter games on the weekends that follow that has resulted in such a paltry return of trophies.
As important as making inroads in Europe will remain under the new regime, Naismith contends that that alone will never be enough to constitute meaningful progress.
'I think success domestically has to be the first aim,' he explained. 'It's not as clear cut as saying it's one over the other, because Rangers can have both.
'But what won't be accepted is what's happened in previous years where it's been: 'Oh we've done well in Europe but we're 10 or 15 points behind in the league'. That just won't wash.
'That's what has to change. Rangers have to beat the other teams in the league.
'If you look at the points they dropped against teams from the mid-to-low end of the table, it was unacceptable.
'That's how the gap goes from being four points — where there is still pressure on the team at the top — to that big a gap where it becomes easy and that team can cruise.'
Ultimately, as Martin will no doubt appreciate, that's what did for Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale and Clement. No Rangers manager viewing a yawning gap to Celtic is ever long for the post.
Notwithstanding an arduous first test, though, Naismith saw enough in the three years he shared a dressing room with Martin at Carrow Road to believe this latest chapter doesn't have to end in tears.
'When you look at the teams they could have got, it's definitely the toughest opposition,' he added. 'On top of that, you've had a takeover, a new manager and a squad rebuild that needs to happen.
'You have to understand where Rangers are at. Russ coming in will make it an enjoyable place to play football for the players. But, of course, there will be expectations in terms of what he wants from them. The style will change and there will be mistakes within that.
'Over time, I've got no doubt that he'll be a success. At every club, he's made them a better team and improved players.
'The proof of that is the sale of players he's worked with. They've moved on for a profit compared to when he brought them in.'
*Steven Naismith appeared courtesy of William Hill and the Warm-Up, SPFL Title Sponsor.