Martin: No Better Stage To Showcase Our Hard Work

RUSSELL MARTIN says there's no better stage for his side to showcase the fruits of their early labour on the training pitch than tomorrow evening's UEFA Champions League qualifying clash against Panathinaikos at Ibrox.

The first leg meeting in Govan marks Martin's competitive Ibrox bow as Head Coach having been appointed just 46 days ago.

His squad has been hard at work this pre-season absorbing his ideas, building connections, and ramping up their fitness levels, and Martin believes tomorrow's visit from the Greek side will be an early indication of where his side are at.

Speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow evening's Second Qualifying Round first leg clash, the Head Coach commented: "I'm excited about it and I'm looking forward to the game.

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210725 Press Conference, Russell Martin 14

"I said to the players that they should be really excited about it given the work they've put in over the last four weeks.

"It's all been geared towards this and I'm really looking forward to it. We'll find out tomorrow.

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"In terms of the preparation and the work, physically, tactically, and the connection between the way we work with the players and us, I've been so pleased over the four weeks. But it's not a long time.

"Tomorrow is going to be a real big test for us to see how far along we are and how much work we have to do.

"It's the most interesting part for us as coaches because tomorrow we will learn a lot about the group and what we need to prioritise moving forward over the next few weeks.

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210725 Training, Kieran Dowell 30

"There's been a lot of change. We've tried to manage change as well as we possibly can as a group; us as staff, the leadership team, Patrick [Stewart] and the gang.

"Everyday I wake up and I want to be in this position.

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"I feel extremely grateful for it and I'm excited by it. And I'll give it absolutely everything that I've got. We all will.

"It's what this club and the people demand - and the supporters demand who will outstay all of us - and we want to put a team on the pitch that we're proud of.

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210725 Training, Nasser Djiga 44

"It needs to start tomorrow. We need to see something that we're excited about, and the players need to feel something to be excited about.

"It's an amazing opportunity and game to do that."

Martin's squad has been bolstered by several new summer arrivals, although Thelo Aasgaard, who joined from Luton Town earlier this month, is an injury doubt for the game.

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Providing an early fitness update, the Gers boss continued: "Thelo [Aasgaard] is the only injury concern. We'll keep monitoring him.

"We have a brilliant medical team and they're working extremely hard to get him back as quickly as possible. Everyone else is in really good shape.

"Cyriel [Dessers] and Hamza [Igamane]? They're not ready to start a game yet or play 90 minutes, but they're ready to contribute.

"As is Djeidi Gassama, who is not ready to play 90 minutes.

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210725 Training, Joe Rothwell 70

"They played 45 minutes on Saturday which put them in a really good place.

"I like a lot of what I've seen from all three - all very different - and they are players that excite us.

"We'll see them at some point over the two ties; how many minutes will be defined by how the game is going."

Panathinaikos are set to provide a stern test having recovered to finish as runners up in the Greek Super League last term behind champions Olympiacos.

Martin is under no illusions as to the strength of the Greek outfit but insists his focus, albeit tailored more towards tomorrow's opposition in recent days, has been on raising the level of his own side first and foremost.

He added: "[Panathinaikos] are a team which know each other well. They have some very talented players and real strengths. But so do we.

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210725 Training, Cyriel Dessers 36

"The focus has been about us and trying to be better. We haven't spent four weeks preparing for one game; we have a long season ahead of us.

"Over the last week, there has been more finer detail around what this game is going to require physically, tactically and emotionally.

"And we need to try and control as much of that as we possibly can and be the team that we want to be. That's the challenge.

"Whatever the situation of the game tomorrow we need to be the team that we want to be."


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