Rangers have already embarked upon their new campaign when they faced off against FK Shkupi on Thursday night as part of the first qualifying round in the UEFA Europa League. There was a lot of pressure under the shoulders of the new Gers manager Steven Gerrard going into the match as the Glaswegian giants were eliminated at the same stage of the competition last season.
Gerrard had decided to deploy six of his new signings on the night which was a bold move considering that there might have been some cohesion problems in his team. However, his gamble paid off as Jamie Murphy found the back of the net in the 23rd minute to hand the home team a priceless lead at the Ibrox Stadium.
The Teddy Bears ensured a healthy advantage in injury-time when their captain James Tavernier converted from the penalty spot to give the Gers a comfortable 2-0 lead in the first leg of the European tie.
Let’s take a look at three signings who have looked the most impressive so far during their time at the Ibrox.
Jamie Murphy
He was probably the home team’s best player on the pitch. Murphy showed a lot of creativity and was a constant threat for the FK Shkupi defenders. The 28-year-old found the back of the net in the 23rd minute and also earned the penalty in injury time which earned a comfortable 2-0 victory for the Gers on Thursday night.
Ovie Ejaria
The on-loan Liverpool midfielder came on as a substitute late on and showed some signs of his promise as he put on a nice, little cameo for the Light Blues. The jury is still out on how good he can be, at the Ibrox. For now, he needs a regular run-out in the first-team which will hopefully be a possibility as the season progresses.
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Nikola Katic
The Croatian youngster was one of the best players in a Rangers shirt last night and put in a matured display during the contest. He looked composed on the ball and didn’t do a foot wrong in the match. However, there would be far sterner tests for him ahead so it might be too early to judge his credentials.
The future looks bright at the Ibrox only if Gerrard can find a way to gel all his summer recruits in the coming weeks.
