Barcelona have lost their final two games, and this season’s opponents are using a tactical tactic inspired by Harry Kane to create chances.
Onsiders and paying attention to defensive lines are frequently advised by buffed strikers.
Why are strikers “offside”?
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Goncalo Ramos scored the 90th-minute winner in PSG’s Champions League victory over Barcelona.
Ramos said, “I think a lot about beating a high line,” when discussing how the goal occurred. [I believe there is a video of Harry Kane scoring against Barcelona two years ago when he did the same thing as I did on the goal.
What did he mean by this, though?
In a strange way, both Ramos and Kane were able to score against Barcelona’s high defensive line when they first waited in an offside position, something defenders don’t typically do.
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Assailants have previously mentioned positioning themselves in this way, according to Thomas Muller.
Muller, a veteran Bayern Munich forward who left the previous season to join the Vancouver Whitecaps, said: “It is easier to defend a guy that comes the ball because the striker is in front of them. They can see and defend him.
However, you always have to turn when you have a guy [behind you], but you don’t want to give up your offense.
Momentum prevents Barcelona from regaining control.
The defenders face the ball and move up the pitch as Barcelona attempt to catch their foe offside.
Last week, PSG and Bayern had players ready to run in behind the Barcelona goal with their weight and momentum in the right direction.
For Barcelona’s defense, it was difficult to recover because of this. How quickly they can regain their goal if they have to turn before accelerating once more.
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In both instances, a quicker wide player running in behind was used to convert the ball. They were structurally onside when the pass was thrown their way, and the relatively slower striker, who was offside, directly caused uncertainty.
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regaining the advantage to score
Both strikers moved towards the back post as the wide players moved the ball up the pitch instead of moving toward the ball, giving them time to get into an onside position.
The central attacker’s position toward the back post made it possible for them to play the pass into space, which allowed for the goalkeeper to intercept it before it curled back in their direction with time.
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Although the similarities between the two goals are striking, there are also striking similarities between the two games.
Concerningly, Barcelona has conceded similar chances this season in the league to Levante, Rayo Vallecano, and Sevilla.
Dame Jilly Cooper, who was known as the ‘queen of bonkbusters’ after penning saucy novels including Riders and Rivals, died aged 88 after a fall, her family confirmed in a statement
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Dame Jilly Cooper’s one-word to describe her legacy as Riders author dies(Image: GETTY)
Dame Jilly Cooper previously opened up about her incredible legacy and hopes before her death aged 88. The much-loved author – who was known as the ‘queen of the bonkbusters’ after penning saucy novels including Riders and Rivals – has sadly died following a fall.
Her family, including Jilly’s children Felix and Emilym issued a heartbreaking statement on Monday to confirm their mother died on Sunday morning following a fall. In a statement, her family said: “Mum, was the shining light in all of our lives. Her love for all of her family and friends knew no bounds.
“Her unexpected death has come as a complete shock. We are so proud of everything she achieved in her life and can’t begin to imagine life without her infectious smile and laughter all around us.”
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Before her death, she discussed her honour and legacy, for which she was unerringly grateful.
She said: “I have lived an incredibly lucky life. Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky. I had brilliant parents, a heavenly husband and lovely children.
The author also added: “I hope I am a bit funny. I hope I cheered people up. I hope I tell a good story.”
The icon’s funeral will be held privately, as she requested, and a public service of thanksgiving will be held in the coming months at Southwark Cathedral to remember the author and her incredible life – that was just as colourful as her characters.
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Her agent, Felicity Blunt, said it was ‘the privilege of my career has been working with a woman who has defined culture, writing and conversation since she was first published over fifty years ago.’
She added Jilly will undoubtedly be best remembered for her chart-topping series The Rutshire Chronicles and its havoc-making and handsome show-jumping hero Rupert Campbell-Black.
“You wouldn’t expect books categorised as bonkbusters to have so emphatically stood the test of time but Jilly wrote with acuity and insight about all things – class, sex, marriage, rivalry, grief and fertility,” she said.
She added: “Her plots were both intricate and gutsy, spiked with sharp observations and wicked humour. She regularly mined her own life for inspiration and there was something Austenesque about her dissections of society, its many prejudices and norms. But if you tried to pay her this compliment, or any compliment, she would brush it aside.
“She wrote, she said, simply ‘to add to the sum of human happiness’. In this regard as a writer she was and remains unbeatable. In her last few years Jilly added to her curriculum vitae by serving as an executive producer on the Happy Prince adaptation of her novel Rivals for Disney+. Her suggestions for story and dialogue inevitably layered and enhanced scripts and her presence on set was a joy for cast and crew alike. Emotionally intelligent, fantastically generous, sharply observant and utter fun Jilly Cooper will be deeply missed by all at Curtis Brown and on the set of Rivals.”
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In a heartbreaking and personal message, Felicity added: “I have lost a friend, an ally, a confidante and a mentor. But I know she will live forever in the words she put on the page and on the screen.”
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The US military’s recent strikes on boats allegedly transporting drugs near the Venezuelan coast have raised questions about the legality of such actions and heightened fears of a military escalation in the region.
In the latest attack on Friday, at least four people were killed, taking the death toll to 21 since the first boat was attacked on September 3 as part of the Trump administration’s “war on cartels”.
US President Donald Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and determined that the United States is in “a non-international armed conflict” with them, the administration notified Congress on Thursday.
But critics argue that the administration’s military actions potentially violate the US Constitution in addition to international laws, with rights observers and legal scholars saying the deadly attacks amount to “extrajudicial killing” and violation of human rights.
Since taking office in January, Trump has designated several drug cartels, including the Tren de Aragua cartel based in Venezuela, as “global terrorist organisations”.
In the past several weeks, the Trump administration has deployed warships in the Caribbean to target boats that it says are involved in “narco-trafficking”, ratcheting up military and political pressure against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, who has condemned the “US aggression” against his country.
So are Trump’s strikes legal, and will they lead to military confrontation with Venezuela? And what is the history of Venezuela-US tensions?
A vessel burns in this still image taken from a video released September 15, 2025, depicting what US President Donald Trump said was a US military strike on a Venezuelan drug cartel vessel that had been on its way to the US, the second such strike carried out against a suspected drug boat in recent weeks [Handout/Donald Trump/Truth Social/via Reuters]
What we know so far
The US has carried out at least four strikes in recent weeks on small vessels in the Caribbean Sea, near Venezuelan waters, that Washington claims were carrying illegal drugs.
The most recent strike, on Friday, destroyed a vessel that was accused of carrying narcotics. Two other strikes last month killed at least six people. At least 11 people were killed in the first strike on September 3.
The Pentagon, however, has not disclosed precise locations or evidence linking the targeted boats to drug-trafficking networks. Washington has not provided any proof of its claims about the boats carrying drugs.
US officials say the operations were conducted in international waters, while Venezuelan authorities insist they occurred dangerously close to, or inside, the country’s territorial zone.
What has Trump said?
Speaking at Naval Station Norfolk on Sunday, Trump applauded the US Navy’s efforts to combat “cartel terrorists”, noting that another vessel off Venezuela’s coast had been hit on Saturday.
Trump also postured for further action inside Venezuelan territory. “In recent weeks, the navy has supported our mission to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water … we did another one last night. Now we just can’t find any,” he said.
“They’re not coming in by sea anymore, so now we’ll have to start looking about the land because they’ll be forced to go by land,” Trump added.
Later, speaking with the reporters at the White House, the US president noted that the US military build-up in the Caribbean had halted drug trafficking from South America. “There’s no drugs coming into the water. And we’ll look at what phase two is,” he said.
Al Jazeera, however, could not independently verify Trump’s claims.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro says the US deployments were ‘the greatest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years’ [File: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters]
How has Maduro responded?
Venezuelan leader Maduro, who has called the strikes “heinous crimes”, has said that he is prepared to declare a state of emergency in the event of a US military attack amid a large US military build-up in the southern Caribbean.
The US has deployed at least eight warships and one submarine to the eastern Caribbean as well as F-35 aircraft to Puerto Rico, bringing thousands of sailors and marines to the region, reported Reuters.
In August, the US doubled its existing bounty on Maduro to $50m and accused the Venezuelan leader of being one of the world’s leading narco traffickers and working with cartels to flood the US with fentanyl-laced cocaine.
In a televised address last Monday, Maduro announced that a “consultation process” had begun to invoke what he called a “state of external unrest” under the Constitution of Venezuela, aimed at protecting the people.
Maduro has repeatedly claimed that the Trump administration wants to overthrow his government – an allegation that Trump has denied, saying, “We’re not talking about that.”
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said that the emergency declaration would grant Maduro special powers to mobilise the armed forces and close Venezuela’s borders if needed.
She said the measure was intended to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against “any serious violation or external aggression”.
Caracas has staged military drills, mobilised militias, and postured its Russian-made fighter jets under a “defence of the nation” campaign.
Are US strikes legal?
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said the maritime strikes amount to “extrajudicial killings”.
“US officials cannot summarily kill people they accuse of smuggling drugs,” said Sarah Yager, Washington director at HRW. “The problem of narcotics entering the United States is not an armed conflict, and US officials cannot circumvent their human rights obligations by pretending otherwise.”
Salvador Santino Regilme, a political scientist who leads the International Relations programme at Leiden University, said that under Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, the use of force by one state against another is prohibited except when authorised by the UN Security Council or exercised in legitimate self-defence under Article 51.
And the US claim that strikes against “drug traffickers” near Venezuela amount to self-defence “appears legally untenable”, Regilme told Al Jazeera.
He noted that drug trafficking, even when transnational, does not constitute an “armed attack” under customary international law.
“Unless Washington can prove that the targeted actors carried out or imminently threatened a large-scale armed attack attributable to Venezuela, these actions risk violating the charter’s core prohibition on the use of force and undermining another state’s territorial integrity,” Regilme said.
To qualify as a non-international armed conflict, as the Trump administration notified Congress, said Regilme, there must be protracted armed violence between organised armed groups or between such groups and a state under the Geneva Conventions. Simply labelling cartels as “terrorists” or “narco-terrorists” does not automatically trigger the applicability of international humanitarian law (IHL), he added.
Expanding the “terrorist” label to justify military targeting risks normalising warlike responses to what are primarily criminal and socioeconomic problems,” Regilme said, referring to the US strikes.
“It militarises law enforcement and blurs the boundaries between crime control and warfare, which has led to severe human rights abuses in the so-called ‘war on drugs,’ from Mexico to the Philippines,” he told Al Jazeera.
Celeste Kmiotek, a senior staff lawyer at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, said in a report that even outside armed conflict, striking a vessel without imminent threat or judicial process may constitute an arbitrary deprivation of life.
Domestically, lethal targeting abroad requires a clear legal basis under US statutes or the US Constitution, she said, adding that no congressional consent or specific Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) covers anti-drug operations in Venezuela.
How have other countries reacted to this?
Several Latin American countries have criticised the actions, with Colombia’s leftist President Gustavo Petro calling the strikes an “act of tyranny” in an interview with the BBC.
“Why launch a missile if you could simply stop the boat and arrest the crew? That’s what one would call murder,” he said.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has also condemned the US attacks on boats, which he said amount to “executing people without a judgement”.
“Using lethal force in situations that do not constitute armed conflicts amounts to executing people without a judgement,” President Lula said in a UN speech last month. He has also expressed his criticism against the deployment of US naval forces to the Caribbean, calling them a source of “tension”.
Russia has also condemned the US strikes.
“The ministers expressed serious concern about Washington’s escalating actions in the Caribbean Sea that are fraught with far-reaching consequences for the region,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said after a phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil.
China, one of Caracas’s largest trading partners, warned that US actions in waters off Venezuela pose a threat to “freedom of navigation”.
China “opposes use of threat [or] force in international relations [and] … any interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs on any pretext”, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
“The unilateral enforcement actions by the US against foreign vessels in international waters, which exceed reasonable and necessary limits, violate international law, and infringe [on] fundamental human rights, such as right to life,” said Guo.
He added that these actions “pose a potential threat to the freedom and safety of navigation in relevant waters and may impede the freedom of high seas enjoyed by all countries in accordance with international law”.
Members of the National Bolivarian Militia gather after responding to Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro’s call to defend national sovereignty amid escalating tensions with the US, in Valencia, Venezuela on September 5, 2025 [Juan Carlos Hernandez/Reuters]
What does it mean for the US influence in the region?
The scope of accountability of the US strikes on vessels off the Venezuelan coasts is quite limited, said Regilme.
This episode reflects a recurring pattern in US foreign policy, which he termed “militarised punishment: the use of military force framed as moral enforcement rather than lawful defence”.
Instead of addressing the complex social and economic roots of drug trafficking, he said, Washington relies on coercive displays of power that project moral authority but lack a clear legal foundation.
Regionally, Regilme said that the strikes could exacerbate distrust toward US interventions in the Southern Hemisphere.
Latin American states, even US allies, remain deeply sceptical of Washington’s extraterritorial military actions justified under counter-narcotics or counter-terrorism rhetoric, he said, which stands to erode regional cooperation mechanisms and embolden nationalist or anti-imperialist political actors.
US ties with Venezuela deteriorated after the 1998 election of President Hugo Chavez, whose socialist agenda sought to reclaim national control over Venezuela’s vast oil wealth by increasing royalties on foreign firms and tightening state oversight.
Chavez also forged close alliances with Cuba, China, and later Iran, marking a sharp ideological break from decades of alignment with Washington.
Under Maduro, who succeeded Chavez in 2013, the bilateral tensions deepened amid Venezuela’s worsening economic collapse and growing authoritarianism.
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Former England captain Lewis Moody has been backed to tackle motor neurone disease with “every ounce of his strength” by former team-mate and fellow Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood.
Moody, 47, learned he had the degenerative, muscle-wasting condition two weeks ago and has told BBC Breakfast he is struggling to confront the implications of his diagnosis.
Rugby league legend Rob Burrow and Scotland and British and Irish Lions great Doddie Weir have both died from the disease in the past three years.
“He is the most wonderful human that we love to his very core”, Greenwood, who played alongside Moody for both England and Leicester, told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It is just tragic news, because he is one of the great guys. And I know there is no order to this stuff – how you leave this planet – but you root for the good guys.
” There is not a nasty bone in his body. He is the most optimistic human you can hope to find, and then he had an ability on the pitch to just turn a switch and be the most ferocious competitor.
Former Gloucester and Leicester second row Ed Slater, who was diagnosed with MND in July 2022, and has led fundraising efforts since, said he was “absolutely devastated” for Moody.
Moody told BBC Breakfast that he felt “slightly selfish” for not getting in contact with Slater since he found out he had the disease a fortnight ago, saying he has been daunted by what the future held for him.
“We will be here for you as and when you need”, Slater said in a social media message, before directing followers to a fundraising drive launched for Moody by his friends.
Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Bill Sweeney said Moody, who won 71 England caps and three caps for the British and Irish Lions, “represents the very best of rugby’s values” both on and off the pitch.
Sweeney added: “Lewis represented England, the British and Irish Lions and his clubs Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby with both brilliance and distinction – one of the toughest and most fearless players ever to don a back row shirt in the game, earning the respect and admiration of team-mates, opponents, and supporters alike all over the world.
” We are ready to offer practical and emotional support to the Moody family in whatever way is needed and appropriate, and we encourage people to show their support through the fundraising initiatives now being set up. “
Former England back Chris Ashton told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast that he has nothing but respect for Moody, describing his former team-mate as” a real leader”.
” It’s not sunk in yet, “Ashton said”. Even though this is the fourth player that we all know]to have MND], it never gets any easier. I think it’s because you know what’s coming.
“But what a player, what a human – he’s so passionate, such a hard man. I admire him even more for what he is going to go through”.
Danny Care, who played scrum-half for England during Moody’s captaincy, also praised his old skipper’s leadership qualities and promised to be supportive.
“It hit me hard today”, Care told Rugby Union Weekly. “We have seen with Doddie and with Rob and Ed Slater what this horrible disease does to people. I think that is what scares you the most.
” I will never forget my first time in the England camp. Moody put his arm around me straight away and said ‘ I will look after you. If there’s any trouble – come to me. ‘
“We are all hurting for him but we are all here for him”.
Retired England back Ugo Monye also spoke highly of his former team-mate and is pleased that Moody has found some answers.
“He is such a carer of a bloke – which is such a contradiction to how he played the game because he was so tough – but off the pitch he is a really thoughtful and really caring person”, Monye said.
“I think Lewis thought something was up with him. There’s been times when I’ve spoken to him about him having constant headaches. There’s always been something just niggling in him, so I’m so pleased that he’s investigated.
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Kevin Sinfield, who was awarded a CBE for his services to the motor neurone disease community after his friend Burrow’s diagnosis inspired him to raise more than £10m to fund research and awareness, sent Moody a message of support and made a fresh vow to tackle the disease.
” I’m obviously very saddened by the news, “said Sinfield, who is a skills and kicking coach for the England national rugby union team”. I’d like to wish Lewis, and all his family and friends, the very best.
“I’ll support in any way I can. We have to keep fighting MND]motor neurone disease] together”.
Andrea Pinchen, Sweeney’s counterpart at Leicester Tigers where Moody made 223 appearances, winning seven English titles and two European crowns over 14 years, also paid tribute to Moody as a person, as well as a player.
“The figures, trophies and awards tell you what an incredible player Lewis was, but that is only half the story”, said Pinchen.
“One minute he’s parading around with the World Cup trophy and the following Friday he’d be in the ticket office where I worked, answering the phone to supporters if we were really busy and helping sell tickets.
” As an individual, his commitment to his club along with his warmth and passion shone through, which endeared him to team-mates, staff and supporters alike.
“Always looking to help others, Lewis together with his wife Annie have worked tirelessly through the Lewis Moody Foundation, supporting research into brain tumours and helping affected families.
” He absolutely threw himself in. It was very much lead by example. He would never ask somebody to do something he wouldn’t do himself. He is utterly fearless. “
What is motor neurone disease?
Fergus Walsh
Medical correspondent
Affecting about 5, 000 people in the UK at any one time, motor neurone disease is a neurological condition which gets progressively worse over time.
Motor neurones are nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that carry messages to muscles controlling movement which, when damaged, interrupt signals to muscles, leading to muscle weakness, loss of movement and muscle wasting.
It can also affect speech and the ability to walk and breathe unaided.
Motor neurone disease is most common among over-50s – though it can affect people at a much younger age – and while more than 50% of those affected die within two years of diagnosis, life expectancy can vary considerably.
Stephen Hawking had a rare, slow-progressing form of the disease, living more than 50 years with the condition – and trials of an immunotherapy drug interleukin-2 suggest it can extend survival for those with less aggressive disease.
A Scottish study three years ago found that former international rugby players were more than 15 times more likely to develop MND than the general population, and were also more likely to develop dementia and Parkinson’s.
The research is not definitive and as yet there is no proven link, but it has highlighted the need to minimise the risks of head injury in sport.
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Matthew Henry
journalist for BBC Sport
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Indore, ICC Women’s World Cup
New Zealand 231 (47.5 overs): Devine 85 (98), Mlaba 4-40
South Africa 234-4 (40.5 overs): Brits 101 (89), Luus 81* (114)
South Africa won by six wickets.
South Africa won the World Cup in Indore by six wickets after being humiliated by England.
The Proteas defeated New Zealand for 231 in their opening match of the tournament on Friday, skipping 69 and falling 10 wickets in a remarkable turnaround in fortunes.
Tazmin Brits, one of the ten South African players who recorded a single-figure score last week, hit a fantastic 101 in her fifth one-day international century in five innings and fifth this year.
Marizanne Kapp and Anneke Bosch both departed chasing a net run-rate boost, but Sune Luus, who combined for 159 for the second wicket with Brits, came in with 81 not out to seal a commanding victory. Marizanne Kapp and Anneke Bosch also left chasing a net run-rate boost, but Brits was bowled two balls after scoring her century with 47 runs.
In contrast, New Zealand’s bat, ball, and field skills were lacking.
Suzie Bates was out lbw to the first delivery when South Africa decided to bat, and they chewed up 48 dot balls in a timid powerplay.
Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday set the tone with 86 from 75 balls through the middle, but Nonkululeko Mlaba, a left-arm spinner, took 4-40 after losing to Halliday in the 39th over, causing a collapse of seven wickets for 44 runs in 59 balls from 187-3.
Devine’s side later gave 19 wides and threw misfields, but her side were bowled for 85 in the 45th over, giving way to a big finish.
Only the top four of the group stages have progressed from the group stage, which leaves New Zealand, the T20 World Cup champions of last year, behind Australia, India, and England.
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The best are being defeated by Brits.
The turnaround of the British was exemplified by South Africa.
Last week, Linsey Smith was one of Linsey Smith’s three powerplay victims when she bowled in the fourth over.
Given that she was only allowed to start her innings with pace bowling, which was another odd New Zealand call, she had no chance to break three figures with her powerful drives, which were particularly eye-catching.
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The 34-year-old is not the more recoiled batter in this XI, which is Laura Wolvaardt, the more elegant captain, but her run of form is stunning.
In her first 20 ODI innings, she did not record a century, but she has since recorded seven in 21 innings.
Brits is also the first woman to reach five ODI centuries in a calendar year, beating out Australian great Meg Lanning as the format’s fastest player with her 41st innings.
She said, “I’m not one for records, but when you mention Meg Lanning, I’m happy I’m above that.”
“I’m just trying to be as optimistic as I can and just backing myself.”
An extraordinary turnaround was the response.
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Tazmin Brits, the South Africa batter, said, “It feels great. After the final game, I’m pleased we were able to get this one to pass.
“I’m not a record-breaker, but I’m good as long as we win,” I said. I’m just trying to be as optimistic as I can and just backing myself.
Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa’s captain, said: “It was such an amazing turnaround and something we knew we were capable of after that first game. I’m glad we put that behind us and were able to bounce back.
“We will enjoy it tonight, but like the first game, we have to forget about it because cricket begins at zero and is a significant game for us [versus India].”
Sophie Devine, the skipper of New Zealand, said: “We got ourselves into a position to launch ourselves and then lost wickets, and it’s difficult to have a crack at the back end.”
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Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland
Russell Martin does not leave Rangers with an infamous meme-worthy moment like some of his predecessors, such as arguing with fans in a bush or performing a headstand in a dugout.
But he will be remembered by many as a worse Ibrox boss than all of them – and arguably the club’s worst of all time.
Why? One, his 123-day reign is the shortest of any permanent Rangers manager. And, two, his win percentage of just 29% is by far the lowest in the club’s history.
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Five managers in four years
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With champagne dripping from his hair and a 2020-21 Scottish Premiership winner’s medal around his neck, then manager Steven Gerrard urged Rangers to “fix the roof while the sun is shining”.
Spoiler – the roof still ain’t fixed and the sun ain’t shining no more.
Rangers went through four managers – Gerrard, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale and Philippe Clement – in the following four years before getting to Martin.
The Govan side were a penalty shootout away from winning the Europa League under Van Bronckhorst, then won a Scottish Cup days later. He went with Rangers nine points behind Celtic the following season.
Beale and Clement both made positive starts before their reigns unravelled. Beale’s side were seven points adrift of Celtic when he was sacked. It was 13 for Clement.
Martin leaves Glasgow with Rangers nine off Celtic and 11 behind leaders Hearts after just seven league games.
Prior to 2012, Rangers had 13 managers in more than a century. In the past decade, they have burned through seven.
What do numbers say about Martin’s tenure?
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They support the view the 39-year-old is Rangers’ worst ever manager.
Albeit over a 123-day period, the shortest tenure of any first-team boss at Ibrox, Martin’s 29% win percentage is the lowest in the club’s history.
Paul le Guen managed 52% and Pedro Caixinha’s was 54%. Even Barry Ferguson’s interim spell had a win rate of 40%. Graeme Murty’s was 60% across his two caretaker stints. Clement (64%) and Beale (72%) are well clear.
As for Martin, it felt like each game came with a new low.
A 1-1 draw with Dundee in his second Premiership game marked the first time since 1989 that Rangers had failed to win their opening two league fixtures.
Losing to Hearts in September meant the Ibrox side had not won any of their first five league matches for the first time since 1978.
A 6-0 humiliation in Brugge, inflicting a 9-1 aggregate embarrassment, was a record-equalling European defeat.
And the 2-1 Europa League loss to Sturm Graz on Thursday ensured Rangers went a 23rd consecutive away game without a clean sheet. That is a new club record.
Even in victory there were serious red flags. Martin’s side faced an eye-watering 73 shots across four matches while progressing past Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen in Champions League qualifying.
The underlying numbers told us it was not sustainable. And so it proved.
In the Premiership, only two teams have scored fewer goals than Rangers this term. No team has had fewer clean sheets. They have only faced two shots fewer than St Mirren. They are on a negative goal difference.
Their expected goals (xG) rating of nine ranks them eighth, where they happen to be placed in the standings that really count.
Even with that evidence, Martin often said his team’s deficiencies were down to mentality issues and not tactics.
In the backdrop, Rangers’ board sanctioned a net spend of around £20m in the summer window. There have been suggestions that could mean the club spent close to £40m on incomings.
What information do we collect from this quiz?
Who could Rangers turn to next?
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Rangers could take a leaf out of the book of their city rivals and turn to a previous manager to try to stabilise and bring back success.
That would be Gerrard, who has been out of work since ending an 18-month stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq.
The former Liverpool and England captain’s Ibrox reign was far from perfect, but he is the only man to have led Rangers to a top-flight title in the past 14 years.
The ex-Aston Villa boss was reportedly in the running for the Ibrox job in the summer, along with Davide Ancelotti, son of the great Carlo.
It seems the Ancelotti ship has sailed, though, with the former Real Madrid coach now at Botafogo, where he has won 10 of 22 games in his first job in management.
Sean Dyche’s name has also been mentioned by fans and bookmakers, which perhaps carries weight given his connection with Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell, whom he worked with at Everton.
There is some snobbery around the football the former Burnley boss looks to implement, but he would surely make Rangers a harder team to beat.
Then there is Derek McInnes, whose history at Ibrox is well documented. The former Rangers midfielder was targeted for the managerial position while Aberdeen boss but turned the role down.
Now leading the Premiership table with Hearts, would Rangers’ new ownership group be interested in the experienced 54-year-old?
