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The defender of the Rangers, Leon Balogun, has outlined the key improvements that his team must make to ensure a positive result against Fenerbahçe in his 16 of the UEFA Europa League.
The Rangers have endured a difficult patch recently, which has led to the dismissal of the Belgian manager Philippe Clement last week.
Balogun, who is expected to be fit for the crucial first leg draw on Thursday in Istanbul, believes that the team must intensify significantly to change its fortune.
Light Blues’s fights continued last weekend with a 2-1 house loss against Motherwell.
Balogun began on the bench, but was introduced in part time as part of a triple substitution, with Rangers following the goals of Luke Armstrong and Tom Sparrow.
Although Cyriel possess them, they withdraw one after the break, the Rangers could not save a result, leaving them 16 points behind Celtic in the Premier League Scottish.
Now, CB, 36, is looking towards the European stage, urging his team to offer a strong performance against Fenerbahçe.
“It’s a great opportunity for us on Thursday, playing,” the CB told Belfast Telegraph.
“It could work in our favor that we have a first leg, especially after the recent national results, and could help the followers return to our side.”
“But we must take at least two mass steps forward from today if we want to get a result there. It also helps we play European football again shortly after, just a week later.
“So, it is a great opportunity and a great opportunity for us.”
Balogun also reflected on facing José Mourinho, remembering his previous match at the Premier League when Brighton defeated Manchester United 3-2 in his debut.
“I think I played against Mourinho only once. That was my debut in the Premier League and we won it (Manchester United) with Brighton 3-2 at home. So that is a very amateur memory.
“He is a very, very big character. A very big manager in the world of football, and there is a lot of respect that you must have by name. “
Beyond the club’s football, Balogun remains open to the Super Eagles.
Having constantly declared that he never retired from the international service, Balogun is anxious for a retirement since Nigeria prepares for his FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March.
With Nigeria fighting in his qualification campaign, ensuring victories in both games is crucial to keep his hopes of the World Cup alive.
If he is in shape and in form, the veteran could strengthen the defensive options for the new chief coach Eric Chelle, who will soon announce his team.
It remains to be seen if your recent performances are enough to convince Chelle, but the experienced defender is determined to stay in dispute.
