Glasgow Rangers finally got their first win on the board in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, after they failed to win any of their first five league games under Russell Martin.
There would not have been a more relieved man in the ground than the Light Blues head coach when Max Aarons popped up in stoppage time to score the winning goal for the away side.
The Ibrox loanee came off the bench to rattle a finish into the bottom corner from Nicolas Raskin’s corner to prevent Rangers from falling to a fifth draw in six league games.
James Tavernier’s penalty miss did not help matters in the first half, as the captain failed to make it 2-0 before half-time, but the Gers still conceded a sloppy goal and lacked a cutting edge in the final third before Aarons scored the winner.
It was a win and a much-needed one for Martin. However, the manager may not be too pleased with some of the individual performances that were on display when he goes back to review the match.
Summer signing Bojan Miovski is one of the players who may end up finding himself on the bench because of his underwhelming start to life at Ibrox.
Why Bojan Miovski may be dropped to the bench
The Macedonia international was signed on a permanent deal from Girona in the summer transfer window to bolster the club’s attack, as a player who has already proven himself in the Premiership.
Miovski, as shown in the graphic above, scored 32 league goals in the division during his two seasons at Aberdeen before a move to Girona in the summer of 2024. This shows that he can score goals at an impressive rate at that level.
The Light Blues are yet to see the best of the left-footed forward in front of goal, though, as he missed a huge chance to open the scoring in the 2-1 win over Livingston on Sunday.
It was like watching Miovski at Aberdeen to create the chance. His movement on the last line to beat the offside trap was superb and he looked in control and composed, up until he needed to find the target.
The 26-year-old marksman, who scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup against Hibernian, has not done enough in his Premiership outings to warrant keeping a place in the starting line-up.
xG
0.87
Top 47%
Goals
0
Bottom 3%
Shots
4
Bottom 28%
xA
0.02
Bottom 9%
Assists
0
Bottom 3%
Duel success rate
21.2%
Bottom 9%
Aerial duel success rate
11.1%
Bottom 6%
As you can see in the table above, Miovski ranks lowly among his positional peers in a host of attacking and physical metrics, as he has failed to deliver quality in the final third and reliability out of possession.
This is why Martin must drop the former Aberdeen and Girona centre-forward from the starting line-up, because he has not offered enough to the team in or out of possession.
The Macedonian number nine is not the only Light Blues star who showed that he should not be starting for the club at the moment in the win over Livingston on Sunday.
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Thelo Aasgaard was selected once again in the left-sided central midfield role in Martin’s 4-3-3 system, but he failed to justify his inclusion in the team with a strong performance.
Why Thelo Aasgaard should not be starting for Rangers
The Norway international was signed from Luton Town during the summer transfer window with a view to adding an attacking threat to the team from a central midfield position.
Aasgaard scored 11 goals in 45 matches in all competitions for Wigan Athletic and Luton combined in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he did offer a decent threat in front of goal last term.
The English-born star, who was described as a “huge talent” by former Wigan communications officer Jamie Allen, has yet to show the Rangers fans what he is capable of at the top end of the pitch.
That has not been through a lack of opportunity, though, because Martin has provided him with six starts in all competitions, yet the attacking midfielder has not delivered a single goal or assist.
Aasgaard made no key passes, did not complete any dribbles, and did not register any shots on target in 73 minutes against Livingston, per Sofascore, which shows that he offered next to nothing in possession for the Gers.
Unfortunately, a lack of quality at the top end of the pitch has become a theme for the Norway international in the Premiership for Rangers so far this season.
Appearances
4
Starts
4
Goals
0
Big chances missed
2
Big chances created
0
Key passes per game
0.3
Assists
0
As you can see in the table above, the summer signing from Luton has created one chance in four starts in the league, with no goals or assists to his name.
These statistics show that he is not offering enough to the team in front of goal, as is also the case with Miovski, despite being in the side to provide a spark and break down opposition defences.
This is why the Rangers head coach should ruthlessly drop both players from the starting XI for the trip to Falkirk in the Premiership after Thursday’s Europa League clash with Sturm Graz, because both of their performances on Sunday showed that they should not be starting.
Miovski and Aasgaard are not terrible players, as their records at previous clubs prove, but they are not delivering enough quality on the pitch for the Gers, which is why they should have a spell on the sidelines.
Worse than Tavernier: Martin must drop Rangers flop who was saved by Aarons
Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin must drop this flop who was saved by Max Aarons against Livingston.
ByDan Emery Sep 29, 2025
If the two attackers can impress off the bench and start to show more promising signs at the top end of the pitch in matches, then they can earn back their place in the XI and start to kick on at Ibrox.