By the time Rangers leave the Olympic Stadium in Athens on Wednesday night, the only thing that will matter is ensuring they’ve kept the flame burning in this year’s Champions League campaign.
As their charter flight touched down in this ancient city yesterday evening, the mercury was still nudging 40 degrees. Without a breath of wind in the air, it felt even hotter.
Many of those who’d arrived in advance from Scotland to support them would have found the heat uncomfortably oppressive.
Professional athletes are trained to perform in such conditions, but they are only human. Make no mistake. Despite the evening kick-off, this will be a football match played in a furnace.
Russell Martin is evidently not a man who likes to get his excuses in early.
Doubtless aware of the danger in sowing a seed of doubt in the heads of his players, he bristled at the suggestion his players might melt in the heat.
Russell Martin leads out his players and staff at the Olympic Stadium in Athens
Cyriel Dessers and team-mates get acquainted with the pitch ahead of crucial Euro tie
Martin tells the media that his team will not be taking a negative approach in Greece
‘We had an extremely hot week in St George’s (home of the England national teams), where the guys had to work really, really hard and cover a lot of distance,’ he said.
‘That will help prepare us, but it’s the same for both teams.
‘We have to manage the game in the best way possible, in our way, for us. And I think the players are ready for that.
‘For me, it’s the same situation we found ourselves in before the first game.
‘It’s a tough game against a good opponent that we have to be really ready for, and I think we’ll be better than we were last week.
‘We have to be, and it’s down to these guys when they step out over the white line to make sure we stick to the work and the detail and really believe in what we’re doing.’
Martin was only appointed Rangers manager on June 5. Required to reshape a failing squad in quick time, a first competitive test against Panathinaikos arrived all too soon.
In the first half at Ibrox last week, his side looked undercooked. Had it not been for Jack Butland, they could have been three goals down by the time Findlay Curtis produced some heroics of his own at the other end.
Goalkeeper Jack Butland is accompanied by Findlay Curtis and Zander Hutton in stadium
Joe Rothwell and James Tavernier enjoy a pre-match chat before the action begins
Reduced to 10-men after Giorgos Vagiannidis was sent packing, Panathinaikos conceded again when Djeidi Gassama scored and, by time up, were relieved the damage had been limited to two.
While it turned out to be a tidy night’s work for the home side, Martin would have needed no-one to tell him that it could easily have been a different story.
‘When you have a clear idea and a clear vision of what you want the team to look like, and what you want the game to look like, it certainly makes analysing things easier,’ he reflected.
‘So, we learnt as much as we can from that. The same on Saturday (in a friendly against Middlesbrough) with the guys that haven’t played so much and the guys that came on. That’s the process.
‘We have to analyse, we have to learn and we have to improve. And we have to practise properly, and they’ve certainly done that.
‘I love the feeling of training this week and the stuff I’ve seen. So, they’ll have to just take that into the game now. And, if they do, I really believe it will be enough.’
What can be said with some certainty is that the Greeks will come out swinging. If they land an early blow, the entire psychology of the tie will change. Rangers will expect to suffer at times.
‘They need to display courage, discipline, aggression in the right areas, intensity, all of it,’ warned Russell.
Cyriel Dessers will be hoping to help Rangers progress to the next qualifying stage
Russell Martin and the Rangers party get a proper feel for the Olympic Stadium
‘We have to be the team we want to be always.’
While the stadium will be considerably short of its 75,000 capacity, the atmosphere is still expected to be electric.
Martin has no doubts that players who have lately emerged from Olympiakos and Fenerbahce with positive results can do it again for Rangers on Wednesday.
‘We have a lot of international players,’ he added. ‘We have to manage the game and take the crowd out of it as much as we possibly can, by doing it our way and trying to dominate in as many aspects as we can.
‘I’m looking forward to the atmosphere. It’ll be a really good experience for the guys, but we have a lot who have played in big games, big occasions and for this football club. I’m really confident the guys can handle that.
‘Once the game starts, it’s the same as any other game. The atmosphere (last week) was incredible.
‘We have a chance to give the travelling fans a night to remember, and have a night to remember ourselves.’
Gassama’s intervention from the bench eight days ago ensured Martin’s first night in the job went swimmingly. The winger looks set to be tasked with completing the job.
Martin is aware it will be extremely hot but says his players are ready to cope with conditions
‘I think he’s ready to start,’ added the manager. ‘He had a big impact for us when he came on.
‘You saw plenty of the reasons why we wanted to sign him. We had the luxury of working with him in pre-season behind closed doors, seeing him every day and understanding the talent and ability he has.
‘And he felt this environment would be perfect for him to grow and continue improving.
‘It’s early, early days. But Gass is a player that really excites us and I think can make a big difference for us. And hopefully, he does the same again tomorrow night. ‘
Martin has been at pains to stress that the outcome of this tie won’t define his first season in Glasgow.
While that may well be the case, no one, surely would understate its importance.
‘I think it would be huge for the club,’ he said. ‘It’s not about me. It’s about the club. It’s about the players, it’s about the team, the fans.. So, take anything personally out of it. It would be brilliant for the football club if we win.’
