Rangers ace branded 'ineffective' after Birmingham City spell as two changes predicted for Panathinaikos clash

One pundit reckons a Rangers star’s effectiveness has been exposed after spending time at Birmingham City - as two changes are predicted for their Panathinaikos crunch clash.

The Light Blues are still in the midst of their summer rebuild under head coach Russell Martin but they did enough to secure a priceless 2-0 win against Greek opposition in the first leg of their Champions League second round qualifier. It sets them up nicely for the away leg but one shock starter at Ibrox was Kieran Dowell, who was a surprise inclusion after time at Birmingham City.

He looked out of the picture in Govan after being loaned out but has had the faith of Martin so far. Scott Allan, who also featured at Birmingham City alongside a host of Scottish clubs, was on punditry duty for Clyde SSB to review the game. With goalscorers Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama making a pacy difference, he reckons Dowell’s lack of that trait showed him up. The former playmaker reckons Dowell plus striker Danilo will be axed abroad.

Two Rangers changes predicted for Panathinaikos

Allan said: “Gassama obviously coming on. I think next week, I think you maybe swap Dowell with Gassama or someone with pace because there's going to be periods in the game where you're going to be asked to defend and with counter-attack you have to have speed. I think looking at Dowell again, I thought he was very ineffective in the game. I think that pace was the one thing that showed a real weakness in the Panathinaikos side.

“Rangers' positives in that second half looked like they were coming down the wide areas of Panathinaikos. I felt Dowell, just in that system, I think Gassama will offer a lot more. It will be interesting to see what the Rangers' fans think of that. I think Curtis, when he is direct, when giving the ball in space, he looks like he's going to go and hurt the defence because he's physically there and he's got that directness. You need that especially play in that system.

“So we've seen that in spades in the last 25, 30 minutes what that speed and attack can offer. So I think Dowell will drop out. I think maybe Danilo will drop out. Obviously Thelo Aasgaard still to come in. We don't know what his fitness is going to be like, but speed kills especially at that level and it certainly proved that come the latter part of the game.”

Kieran Dowell role at Rangers

Martin recently admitted Dowell had been elevated to the club’s leadership group. He said: “It's quite a quiet dressing room. There are a lot of people from different backgrounds and there are a lot of young guys. But they have spent a lot of time together here and it is getting noisier. There is more noise, smiles and laughs coming out from the games and they are also digging in together.

"When they have to run and work hard together, they are holding each other accountable in training. You could hear that today on the training pitch and that was so different to where we were two and a half weeks ago in terms of the noise.

“But the guys who have come in have been great as we knew the characters we were bringing in. The aggression and the way they compete is fantastic and we have to keep asking and driving for that. The senior group of Tav (James Tavernier), Jack (Butland), Kieran Dowell and John Souttar are good guys and they have welcomed them and make sure they feel part of it. Even if they are not really noisy they have done it in their own way, which is important."