Rangers v Panathinaikos: Head coach Russell Martin's first competitive test

It’s only 47 days since Russell Martin was appointed as Rangers head coach and the on-field revolution at Ibrox began in earnest.

Without any competitive games under his belt and only a few friendlies played to help integrate new signings and shape the team, his early work is facing a massive test.

Rangers take on Panathinaikos at Ibrox in the first leg of what they hope will be three qualifying ties en route to the glamour and riches of the Champions League.

It’s not a game that many managers would pick as the first of their tenure, with most bosses probably happier to learn about the team’s development in games that don’t have the potential for around £40m of earnings on the line.

Speaking ahead of the match, Martin conceded that it was “a really, really big game” but he was quick to insist that what happens at Ibrox on Tuesday night and in Athens the following Wednesday, it would not be “season-defining”.

With the consolation prize of a place in one of UEFA’s lesser competitions on offer, and the primary task for Martin being to loosen Celtic’s dominance on the domestic game, he’s not wrong to point out that the team will be judged on what they achieve over the next ten months and not in their first proper games together.

Nevertheless, European nights at Ibrox always come with expectation and even as they have struggled to win Scottish silverware, the team’s performances on the continental stage have been a source of pride and a marked success in recent years.

Martin will be hoping that, after what he believes has been a positive four weeks on the training ground, expounding on his possession-based footballing philosophy and drilling into his players what he expects, his team will be ready to take a step towards the next round with a first-leg victory.

The club hasn’t been slow in bringing in new faces this summer. Lyall Cameron has come in from Dundee, while defenders Max Aarons and Nasser Djiga have joined on loan from Bournemouth and Wolves respectively.

Peterborough stopper Emmanuel Fernandez has come in, while Bournemouth’s Joe Rothwell and Luton’s Thelo Aasgaard have been recruited to improve the midfield.

Djeidi Gassama is the latest new face, having moved from Sheffield Wednesday last week and Martin has enthused about the dynamic winger.

All but Aasgaard are fit to face Panathinaikos and Martin’s side will feature new faces as well as experienced heads. He expects his squad to be further transformed by the end of the transfer window but believes the side he puts out on Tuesday night can deliver, and can show the type of football he wants to see.

That possession-heavy style, which Martin has been committed to at previous clubs MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton, will be put to the test against a Panathinaikos side with ambitions of their own.

The Greek side made the last 16 of the Conference League last season, eventually being knocked out by Fiorentina, but they haven’t made the group stage of the top-tier competition in Europe since 2010.

Panathinaikos finished last season strongly, with results in the Super League play-off stage helping them climb from third place into second and claiming the Champions League position. They still finished 16 points behind title winners and their eternal rivals Olympiacos though.

Manager Rui Vitoria can look at a settled squad as he tries to build on last season, with the vast majority of last season’s stars still on the books.

On-loan Marseille midfielder Azzedine Ounahi returned to his parent club in the summer and though Panathinaikos want him back, his absence will need to be covered.

Other key men remain, with captain and striker Fotis Ioannidis ready to lead the line and right winger Tete a particular threat.

Vitoria’s side have had four friendlies to warm up for the tie, with wins over Metalist 1925 and, most recently, Westerlo as well as a draw with Schalke and a defeat to Braga.

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s game, Vitoria’s concern was more with how little he had been able to see of Rangers in the build-up.

“It has been a challenge for me because I didn’t see almost any games,” the Portuguese coach said.

“They have only played one friendly match against Brugge, which was open. The rest were closed so it was very difficult for us to have a lot of information, so this makes our job and my job as a trainer a bit more difficult.

“But we are ready, we are ready.

“Of course, we don’t know the other team as normal, but I don’t cry because of that. I go and face the opponent and let’s go and let’s fight and put everything on the pitch.

“He’s a new coach and new ideas, so of course, it will be different football than previously here.

“We tried to catch the information that we need, but, of course, we are in the beginning of the season.

“We don’t know the details of the other team. Maybe the coach from Rangers has more information about us than us about them.”

It’s rare for a high-profile tie in modern football, with advanced scouting and data and global broadcasting, to take place with the opposition manager essentially in the dark about what his team will face. It’s uncommon for fans only to have had one chance to see their team in action before a vital qualifier, and even then the team on show had little resemblance to Tuesday’s expected starting side.

Even for the Rangers head coach, there’s an admission that he will be learning about his team alongside everyone else.

The analysis of new-look Rangers will begin the moment the first leg kicks off, and with so much attention on the ambitious new ownership and the task in front of the new boss, it will carry through the season until the final day in May.

Tuesday’s result won’t be season-defining, as Martin has insisted, but it will either give the team the perfect start and momentum as they face the challenges ahead, or it will lay bare the size of the job the coaching team has in turning things around.

The head coach may have insisted that the result isn’t everything but he did reveal what he believes can be one benefit of a good performance and how it could kick-start a season to remember.

“I hope that the fans will leave feeling excited about what’s to come and there will start being a real connection.,” Martin said.

“Because I think if we can be connected, the whole club, Ibrox, here, the supporters, if this club has that, with that energy, I think it’s going to take some stopping. I think it’s really powerful.”