A FORMER Celtic star has leapt to the defence of Rangers boss Russell Martin in his fallout with midfielder Nico Raskin.
SunSport was the first to reveal the talented Belgian was bombed out of the squad ahead of the clash with Celtic before the international break.
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The 24-year-old was then left out of the team, which lost 2-0 to Hearts last weekend, with boss Martin saying he had to “earn back the trust” of his team-mates.
And, although back training with the group, it remains to be seen whether he will play any part in Rangers’ Premier Sports Cup clash against Hibs on Saturday.
Gers fans are incensed by Martin’s decision not to play one of their best players last season.
And his absence – as well as the club’s worst start to a league campaign in almost 50 years – is even more evidence for supporters that Martin should be sacked.
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Fans’ groups are staging protests before the Hibs game after Light Blues chairman Andrew Cavenagh gave Martin his backing ahead of jetting in for the weekend’s match.
Former Celtic star Dylan McGeouch, who was also with Rangers as a youngster, though believes Martin must have had his reasons to drop the Belgium international.
The 32-year-old says he was given an idea of how he operates after playing under Martin’s assistant Mike Williamson when he was manager at Carlisle.
He told Clyde One Superscoreboard: “I understand Raskin is one of Rangers best players, most influential, he plays with Belgium.
“But I do think Russell Martin is an intelligent man. He thinks everything through.
“I worked under his assistant at Carlisle so I know how these people work.
“They don’t do anything through emotions and stuff, everything is well thought out.
“I think for him to drop Raskin out the squad, there must have been something that maybe he’s thought undermined him in front of the squad or whatever and he’s had to act on it.
“I don’t think for a minute he’s thought just one day I’m going to drop Raskin right before an Old Firm game, bring more pressure on myself.”
He added: “Maybe it’s a power struggle, but these guys do ask questions, you are in meetings and stuff. I’ve had it before.
“They like to get your opinion, but obviously there’s a line where you are given feedback, or there’s a line where you cross it and almost are going against what the manager is putting across.”
McGeouch, who counts Celtic, Hibs and Aberdeen among his previous sides, says he’s currently looking for a new club after leaving Carlisle in the summer.
The 32-year-old said: “It’s been tough over the summer just keeping myself fit until hopefully the phone goes and I can find myself a new club.
“I do my own stuff in the gym, a little bit of running here and there but the English PFA put on a pre-season camp over the summer.
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“It’s a good standard of players and coaching so it got everyone up to speed.
“It was like a club environment, which was good so a lot of players have got teams off the back of that, and there are a few of us waiting by the phone.”
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