The PFA Scotland Team of the Year was announced earlier this week and Glasgow Rangers had just one player shortlisted for the first time since the 2017/18 campaign.
Rangers had at least two players in the Team of the Year from the 2018/19 to 2024/25 seasons, with John Souttar and Nicolas Raskin making the final bow.
This year, however, Emmanuel Fernandez is the only Ibrox representative in the side, which includes five players from Motherwell, who had just 15 points on the board at the time of the announcement.
That the Gers only have one player in the Team of the Year in a season that could win the title sums up just how crazy this campaign has been.
Rangers looked off the pace when they won just one league game under Russell Martin, and Fernandez’s journey marks a dramatic change in fortunes under Danny Rohl.
How Danny Rohl unearthed the Rangers’ Defensive Player of the Year
When the Light Blues first appointed the former Sheffield Wednesday coach, Fernandez had started one of the first eight Scottish Premiership games, failing to make the team or come off the bench in the other seven.
Rohl, however, started the Nigerian in his fourth league game in charge, a 2-1 win over Livingston, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Fernandez has started 20 of his 22 appearances for the Scottish giants so far this season, and ranks highest among the division’s centre-backs in a number of key defensive metrics.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Fernandez |
Position vs CBs |
|---|---|---|
|
Duels won 90 |
7.03 |
Up to 18% |
|
Duel success rate |
68.6% |
17% higher |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
72.1% |
Up 11% |
|
Defense contributions at 90 each |
11.34 |
22% higher |
|
90 ball recovery |
5.20 |
Top 9% |
|
90 issues each |
7.38 |
Top 25% |
The former Peterborough United star earned his place in the Team of the Year for his defensive performances, but he did so because Rohl gave him the chance Martin didn’t.
Rohl’s willingness to put faith in the young defender allowed him to develop and flourish at the heart of the Rangers defence, and he deserves a lot of credit for unlocking the potential of the Nigerian colossus.
The Rangers star is more important than Emmanuel Fernandez
Although Fernandez has been excellent for the Gers and deserves his place in the PFA Team of the Year, the centre-back is not the most important player in the team.
Transfermarkt has its market value at £7.8m at the time of writing. That’s the second-highest market value of any Rangers outfielder on the team, only behind center fielder Raskin.
The Belgian, who was called “the best player” by team expert Chris Sutton at the start of the season, could consider himself unlucky to miss out on the Team of the Year, after being included last season.
|
25/26 Premiership |
Raskin |
The level of the guards |
|---|---|---|
|
Sofascore rating |
7.51 |
1 st |
|
Great opportunities have been created |
11 |
Second time |
|
It helps |
7 |
1 st |
|
Accurate passes per game |
50.4 |
Second time |
|
Accurate long passes per game |
2.5 |
3rd |
|
Shots won per game |
2.5 |
1 st |
|
Ideas for each game |
0.5 |
6 of |
Raskin ranked high in most key metrics on the Rangers team this season, which speaks to how much of an impact he has had on Rohl.
The Belgian star scored his fifth league goal of the season in last weekend’s 6-3 win over Falkirk in the Premiership, taking his tally to 12 goals in 31 league games.
Raskin is very important to the Rangers because he contributes on both ends of the field, with tackles and duels won to go along with his goals and assists, and his market value reflects that.
At the time of writing, Transfermarkt has a market value of the medium-sized star at £10.4m. This means he is worth millions more than Fernandez, despite making the Team of the Year, and more than the £1.3m the club paid Standard Liege for his services in 2023.
Rangers hit the jackpot when they signed the Belgian star from Standard Liege three years ago because he proved to be a key player throughout his time at Ibrox, and is now the club’s most important player, apart from those on loan.
Hopefully the Gers can keep him in the summer and continue to enjoy his good performances in the middle of the park again next season.
The Rangers duo played their ‘last games’ at Ibrox and have no future under Rohl
Their future is far from Glasgow.
