Nico Raskin urges Rangers to regroup before Celtic clash

Nico Raskin says Rangers need to regroup and bounce back before Sunday’s match with Celtic at Parkhead. The 25-year-old midfielder described the last two games as a big blow as Rangers try to steady themselves after successive defeats.

Nico Raskin and Parkhead

Raskin said the focus now is on refocusing and going for the win, with Celtic coming after losses to Motherwell and Hearts inside the past two weeks. He said the fixture is always a good game to play in and said Rangers need intensity, quality and personality for the full 90 minutes over there.

“The last two games have been a big blow for us. Now it's about regrouping and bouncing back. It's hard to talk, it's just about refocusing to go for the win and we will see what happens.”

He added: “Obviously until you win the big things, mentality is always going to be the question. I think we have done pretty well to get ourselves back into the title race but we've not been consistent enough in the most important games, which were the last two.”

Rangers under pressure

The defeats left Rangers seven points adrift of the league leaders and four points behind second placed Celtic with three games remaining. That is the backdrop to Sunday’s trip to Parkhead, where Raskin said a win could bring “a little bit of joy after two weeks of problems.”

His role has shifted since the start of the season. Russell Martin froze him out of the first team picture early on, after Martin felt Raskin had been affected by speculation around his future in last summer’s transfer window, but he has since become an integral part of the side under Danny Rohl.

Dalziel and Ferguson

Raskin has also been criticised by Gordon Dalziel, who said: “Raskin to me, if he gets all the nonsense out, he’s a good football player. To me, he just looks like an arrogant guy who thinks he’s better than what he is because he’s in the Belgium squad.” Dalziel also asked: “Tell me what he does because I look at him and say, is he a sitting midfielder, a forward midfield player, does he create things, does he open up defences?”

Derek Ferguson was even blunter. “He won’t be there next season,” he said. “He made it very clear when he came to the club that Rangers were a stepping stone, and that’s a problem. A stepping stone to get down to England.”

For Rangers, the immediate task is simpler than the noise around the midfielder. They go to Parkhead needing a response, and Raskin has already laid out the terms: sharper for 90 minutes, more consistent in the biggest games, and better than they were in the last two.