Battery v Rangers – match preview

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Battery v Rangers – match preview

Just a few hours to go till Mark Warburton’s new-look Rangers side takes its maiden bow in Charleston, South Carolina, as the sole friendly of Rangers’ USA camp sets to test the Magic Hat’s men and see where his new recruits have bedded in.

Notable omissions from tonight’s squad look to be Joey Barton, Jordan Rossiter, Matt Crooks, Niko Kranjcar and Lee Hodson.

Barton has begun training at Murray Park of late, with TV duties preventing him from joining up with the squad in USA, along with the small caveat that he did not officially become a Rangers player until Friday, with his contract formally starting on the first of the month.

Rossiter has been given a little time off, following his summer exploits with the U21 England team, so it is set to be a few weeks yet before Rangers fans see him in action. And Crooks and Kranjcar are not quite match fit, with the former especially seeking it following a lengthy spell on the sidelines after a hefty knee injury in January. Hodson is currently on holiday and is not with the camp in USA.

So, a fair number of the new additions will not be on display tonight, but triallist Oguchi Onyewu, and summer recruits Josh Windass, Clint Hill and Matt Gilks will be involved, with suggestions that Mark Warburton will field two entirely separate sides for each half – at least, expect a great deal of the available squad being used in earnest given this will be its first real test since the season ended at Hampden Park.

Finnish youngster Serge Atakayi is on trial with Rangers too, as we speak, but the 17 year old is at Murray Park and not the American camp, and if he impresses at home Rangers will have to pay a fee given he is under contract with his Finnish employer.

But the likes of Tavernier, Halliday, Holt, Wallace, Waghorn et al all have to begin again and prove they are ready for the SPL next season; all slates are blank now and everyone has to earn their place again, and with the new competition spicing things up, the existing squad will have to up their game to retain their places.

Incidentally, tonight’s friendly is available to all Rangers TV subscribers as a bonus live fixture, so for as little as £5 a month you can watch it as part of the normal package, and the wealth of material for those already joined up is more than tempting enough for the minimal outlay. Every penny of that goes into the club, so for any night owls who can tolerate the midnight kick off, you can see it live.

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11 COMMENTS

  1. Rossiter has no caps at U21 level, couple of U19's the last of which in 2015 he did the hammy again. Came back a few months later, played for Liverpool in Dec did the hammy again.

    Recurring hamstring injuries are hard to deal with. This is why he is a £10k a week gamble.

  2. What are you talking about, he has been captain for england at under level, you don't get dropped into a Europe league match at 19 when there is better talent in the first team squad for no reason, the young man's a developing talent no gamble, excellent business by the hat,
    I'm not saying we have a team of world beaters but let's be honest black or rossiter? Hutton or Barton? A know who ad rather have….The progress and improvements are there to see….Rome wasn't built in a day guys let's walk be for we run otherwise were going to end up back where we were 4 years ago nd that's a fact

    • Bigger English teams use the Europa as some Scottish teams use the League cup. Comparatively an English premiership game will be worth more than all game revenues to the Europa cup final, including winning the final.

      How can you compare Black with Rossiter he has only played 1.5 times for Liverpool and has had 4 hammy probs since 2014. If our Scouting system was better we could have had Dembele for the same money and a huge sell on price. Rossiter will likely move for free after 3-4 years and we get 20 games out of him.

  3. Different training methods can do wonders for players. just cause he got injuries at Liverpool doesn't mean the boy can't stay fit for us . Am telling you they know what their doing trust the manager watp

  4. He was hailed as the next Gerard, you telling me liverpool let the next Gerard go for nowt? You can't have football coaching methods without the use of your legs. He was let go cos he got such a lucrative offer, £2m for 4 years. No brainer for the boy.

    I have coached at a good level for 11 years. Repeated hammy's and groin strains are the worst muscle issues for any athlete and often needs time out. Schlatters apart in younger boys..

    Rossiter hasn't kicked a competative ball in 8 months, I hope the young boy does well, my point was more on could King have taken less of a gamble on a young player. If he is injury prone for us thru the season I am sure your opinion will change.

  5. Crooks has been getting so much press down south, We got him for 25 k, this man has no bad press about him, this will be our major signing this season

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