Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin firmly defends his team’s mentality amid ongoing criticism during a challenging season. Despite a history of limited success, with only three major trophies in the past 14 years, Raskin argues that current players deserve credit for mounting a title challenge after trailing by 13 points earlier.
Mentality Under Scrutiny After Motherwell Defeat
The recent 3-2 home loss to Motherwell highlighted familiar doubts about Rangers’ resolve in key moments. Raskin acknowledges the pressure but counters that recovering to contention demonstrates resilience.
“Until we win a big thing, that’s always going to be there,” Raskin stated. “But I don’t think we can talk about mentality when a team comes back from 13 points behind to a position where you can still win the title, which we have done this season.”
He emphasizes focusing on performance rather than external noise: “No matter what people say, we don’t focus on that. We just focus on how we win the next game, how we get better for the next game.”
High-Stakes Showdown with Hearts
Now four points behind league leaders Hearts, Rangers face a pivotal match at Tynecastle on Monday evening. Raskin describes it as a must-win: “We know it’s a do-or-die game. Either we win it and we are in it for the title, or we lose and it’s going to be very tough.”
The midfielder, a key asset for Rangers since joining, missed last season’s League Cup triumph over Aberdeen due to injury but remains driven. “Winning trophies is something I’ve been dreaming of since I came to the club,” he said.
Collective Effort and Captain’s Legacy
Raskin highlights team-wide responsibility, praising training intensity and leadership from captain James Tavernier, who departs after 11 seasons this summer.
“I think Tavernier has been the best captain I could have had,” Raskin noted. “We’ve been discussing with the boys that’s something we want to achieve, giving this to Tavernier. He might be the one that deserves it the most, that league title.”
Looking ahead to the intense Tynecastle clash, Raskin anticipates a physical battle: “There is going to be fire for the first 10 or 15 minutes. It’s a game of second ball, 50-50s, fight and who’s going to be the more efficient in the box.”
With four games left, Raskin urges belief: “If we don’t believe in ourselves, then no one else is going to believe in us. We know we can do it.”
