Kieran Dowell, the former Birmingham City loanee, is facing a tough spell at Rangers after a promising summer that saw him feature regularly in pre-season and early matches under manager Russell Martin. Despite an impressive loan stint at Birmingham where he tallied 10 goal contributions in 23 League One appearances and became a favourite under Chris Davies Dowell’s fortunes have shifted dramatically since returning to Ibrox.
Though Davies had expressed interest in bringing Dowell back to Birmingham following promotion to the Championship, that move was halted once Martin took over at Rangers. Initially, Martin showed faith in the 27-year-old, but Rangers’ poor start to the season including a string of winless games has led to mounting pressure from fans.
During a home draw against Dundee in mid-August, Dowell was booed by the Ibrox crowd upon being subbed on in the 56th minute. The reaction drew criticism from Martin, who defended the midfielder: “I was surprised by that. He’s played out of position for three games, works incredibly hard in training, and brings intelligence to the pitch.”
Despite Martin’s public backing, Dowell has since seen his minutes drastically reduced. He’s been an unused substitute twice in the last six matches and left out of the squad entirely in the other four. To add to his troubles, he was left out of Rangers’ Europa League squad for the group stage.
Now in the final year of his contract, Dowell appears to be far down the pecking order at Rangers and his Ibrox future is uncertain. While Martin once promised a “clean slate” for everyone, it seems Dowell may not be getting the fresh start he hoped for.
