Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Bojan Miovski has not had an ideal start to life at Ibrox after starting his first two matches in the Scottish Premiership for the club.
The Macedonia international was an exciting signing from Girona during the summer transfer window because of his impressive form for Aberdeen in Scotland prior to his spell in Spain.
As you can see in the graphic above, the left-footed forward racked up 32 goals in two seasons in the Premiership with the Dons, which shows that the Light Blues signed a player who is proven in the division.
Miovski scored 16 goals in each of his two seasons in the league for Aberdeen, per Sofascore, but he has not had the best start to life at Ibrox in his appearances against Celtic and Hearts.
The Rangers striker failed to score a goal or create a chance for his teammates, per Sofascore, in the two matches, despite starting both of them as the main number nine.
However, the blame could go back to the manager, Russell Martin, who appears to be heading towards an exit from Ibrox if results continue to frustrate the fan base.
Why Russell Martin is on thin ice at Rangers
Rangers have suffered their worst start to a league season in 47 years with four draws and one defeat in their opening five matches in the Premiership, losing 2-0 to Hearts at Ibrox in the most recent game.
The Light Blues also failed to make the league phase of the Champions League after they were hammered 9-1 by Club Brugge on aggregate in the play-off round.
As you can see in the post above, some supporters reacted angrily to that loss to Brugge, placing a banner that called for the manager’s dismissal at Ibrox.
Whilst they have not yet decided to part ways with the head coach, the Rangers board are listening to the frustrations of the supporters because reporter Keith Jackson has revealed that there is work going on behind the scenes to identify a possible replacement in the dugout.
Speaking on the Daily Record’s Hotline Live, Jackson said: “I understand that phone calls are being made, back-channelling is going on, and Rangers are currently speaking to and sounding out potential alternatives should they decide they can no longer back Russell Martin.
“It sounds to me very much like they are looking to put something in place in case they are forced into taking action this weekend when Rangers play Hibs in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.”
Celtic (11)
8.6
2.5
Hibernian (9)
8.7
3.7
Hearts (9)
8.2
5.2
Motherwell (8)
8.1
6.3
Rangers (7)
5.6
5.4
As you can see in the table above, Rangers have not been good enough in possession in the first five matches of the season, as they have not created anywhere near as much, in terms of xG, as the best sides in the division.
This may be why Miovski has struggled to perform in his first two outings, because he is in a team that has not been coached well from an attacking perspective, and that is why the Gers should sack Martin to appoint a manager who they reportedly wanted in the summer.
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Rangers were reportedly in pole position to land free agent manager Marco Rose in the summer before they decided to go for Russell Martin. Now, they should fire the former Scotland international to finally appoint the German tactician.
Why Marco Rose would be perfect for Bojan Miovski
The 49-year-old head coach has been out of work since his departure from RB Leipzig in March. This means that the Light Blues would not have to pay any compensation to bring him to Ibrox to replace Martin.
As well as being an attractive target from a financial perspective, Rose would be an attractive managerial appointment for Rangers because he could ignite Miovski’s Ibrox career with his formation and attacking style of play.
The German boss, who was hailed as “outstanding” by Marco Reus, typically favours a 4-4-2 formation and this means that Youssef Chermiti could play alongside the Macedonia international and take some of the pressure off the left-footed star from a physical perspective.
Miovski won two of his 11 duels against Hearts and three of his ten duels against Celtic, per Sofascore, which shows that he has struggled with the task of being the lone centre-forward. This is why having another striker alongside him to take some attention away from the centre-backs could free him up to focus on getting into the box to score goals.
Rose, who won two titles during his time with RB Salzburg in Austria, has a rich history of working with and getting the best out of elite centre-forwards throughout his managerial career.
Manus Dabbur
103
66
Lois Openda
81
40
Benjamin Sesko
78
35
Fredrik Gulbrandsen
90
30
Erling Haaland
35
30
Marcus Thuram
79
25
Alassane Plea
72
22
Christopher Nkunku
28
17
As you can see in the table above, the former Leipzig manager has worked with some of the best strikers in Europe, helping them all to record impressive goal returns.
These statistics show that strikers thrive in Rose’s system, which includes two number nines, and this suggests that he could get the best out of Miovski and £10m summer signing Chermiti at Ibrox.
Rangers, as shown in the clip above, have been on the wrong end of Miovski’s quality at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership, which means that they know what he is capable of at that level.
Martin’s offensively stagnant team is not getting the best out of the former Aberdeen star, or any of the other players given the dreadful results, which is why Rose should be considered as a replacement for him in the coming weeks.
As Jackson said, Kevin Thelwell may have to consider his options if Rangers are knocked out of the League Cup by Hibernian this weekend. If they decide to part ways with Martin, Rose should be the man they move for.