Glasgow Rangers manager Russell Martin is under growing pressure to turn things around quickly following the season’s first international break.
The Light Blues have endured a disappointing start to the 2025/26 campaign, failing to win any of their opening four Scottish Premiership fixtures. Their early exit from the Champions League qualifiers, suffering a heavy 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge, has only added to fans’ frustration. A banner calling for Martin’s dismissal was even seen at Ibrox, highlighting growing unrest among supporters.
Despite this, sporting director Kevin Thelwell publicly backed Martin earlier this week, calling him “one of the best” managers he’s worked with indicating that the former Southampton head coach remains safe in his role for now.
Martin now faces the task of repaying the board’s and Thelwell’s trust by securing positive results and eventually competing for silverware. A key part of that challenge will be getting the most out of summer signing Bojan Miovski, who could prove to be a top addition if used effectively.
How Martin Can Get the Best Out of Miovski
North Macedonia international Bojan Miovski joined Rangers permanently from Girona last month and made his debut in Sunday’s Premiership clash against Celtic. However, the left-footed striker failed to get on the scoresheet largely because Rangers didn’t create a single clear-cut opportunity for him, according to Sofascore.
Manager Russell Martin now faces the task of structuring his team to better support Miovski, who is still searching for his first club goal of 2025. A more chance-rich system could be key to rebuilding the striker’s confidence and goal-scoring touch.
Miovski’s numbers this year make for difficult reading. As shown in the table below, the 26-year-old has gone goalless in every club appearance across both the Scottish Premiership and LaLiga during his time at Girona:
Miovski’s Club Stats in 2025 (Sofascore)
- Vs Celtic – 0 Goals / 0 Assists
- Vs Rayo Vallecano – 0 / 0
- Vs Villarreal – 0 / 0
- Vs Mallorca – 0 / 0
- Vs Valencia – 0 / 0
- Vs Espanyol – 0 / 0
- Vs Celta Vigo – 0 / 0
- Vs Real Madrid – 0 / 0
- Vs Getafe – 0 / 0
Despite this barren run at club level, Miovski has shown glimpses of his ability on the international stage, scoring twice for Macedonia in matches against Wales and Liechtenstein in March.
His pedigree in Scottish football is also proven. Miovski scored 32 goals in 78 Premiership appearances during his time at Aberdeen before a disappointing move to Girona last year. Clearly, he has the talent Rangers just need to provide the right service.
While Martin works on getting Miovski firing again, another striker with Rangers ties has been thriving elsewhere. Former academy prospect Robbie Ure, who left Ibrox for Anderlecht in 2023 after his contract expired, has enjoyed an impressive 2025. The Belgian side paid an undisclosed compensation fee for the Scottish youngster, who is now showing the form Rangers might have hoped to benefit from themselves.
Robbie Ure’s Performances in 2025
Robbie Ure’s development through the Rangers youth system was impressive, and many believed he was on track to break into the first team. As a centre-forward, he delivered consistently at academy level netting 17 goals and providing eight assists in 37 appearances for the B team, according to Transfermarkt. He also impressed in European youth competition, scoring five times in ten UEFA Youth League matches. His early success earned him three senior appearances, including a memorable debut goal in a League Cup win over Queen of the South, after which teammate Scott Arfield described him as “magic.”
However, Ure opted to take his career abroad. He joined Anderlecht’s youth setup in Belgium, where he scored 12 goals in 38 matches, before making a permanent switch to Swedish side IK Sirius in March 2025.
Since moving to Sweden, the 21-year-old striker has found his footing at senior level. He’s scored 10 league goals in the 2025 Allsvenskan season so far five times more than Rangers striker Bojan Miovski, who has just two goals for club and country this year.
Robbie Ure – 2025 Allsvenskan Stats (via FotMob):
- Expected Goals (xG): 8.87 – Top 7% among strikers
- xG on Target: 9.51 – Top 7%
- Goals: 10 – Top 11%
- Shots on Target: 21 – Top 11%
- Expected Assists (xA): 1.95 – Top 11%
- Assists: 3 – Top 1%
These numbers show Ure’s growth not just as a goalscorer but also as a creative force. His performance in Sweden has underlined his readiness for consistent first-team football and raised questions about what Rangers lost when they failed to keep him.
Given his age, form, and level of competition, it’s easy to imagine the excitement among Rangers fans if the club had spent a few million pounds on a striker putting up Ure’s stats. Instead, they lost him for a compensation fee when he left Ibrox in 2023 a decision that now looks like a significant missed opportunity. Rangers couldn’t convince Ure that his future belonged in Glasgow, and in doing so, may have let a top young talent slip through their fingers at a time when their squad could have used his firepower.
