RASKIN IS BASKING IN NEW GLOW

Belgian beds in effortlessly and insists the best is yet to come

TWO starts, two wins and two strong personal performances. While the initial steps of Nicolas Raskin’s Rangers career have undoubtedly been positive, he’s confident more awaits once he gets properly up and running.

A wet Saturday afternoon on Livingston’s plastic pitch is one of those ‘Welcome to Scotland’ experiences for players imported from different environments. It’s a test.

Some might recoil and dream of being back in more genteel surroundings. Raskin met the challenge head-on.

Positive in his passing and intelligent in his movement, the young Belgian anchored a success that was ultimately a lot more comfortable than many at this venue. He had a decent case for being the best performer in blue.

After a solid full debut in the previous weekend’s chaotic Scottish Cup win over Partick Thistle, Raskin took to Premiership combat like someone raised in Larkhall rather than Liege.

The 21-year-old’s quick adaptation appears a well-timed bonus for Ibrox manager Michael Beale, given injury doubts over midfielders Malik Tillman, John Lundstram and Ryan Jack ahead of this Sunday’s Viaplay Cup final against Celtic.

A confident and engaging personality, Raskin declared himself ready for what lies ahead at Hampden when he spoke to journalists post-match in West Lothian.

He is still working towards his maximum, though. After refusing to sign a new contract with Standard Liege, Raskin was frozen out of their post-World Cup fixtures prior to moving to Glasgow last month.

Those weeks without first-team action left him with a little bit of catching up to do. But he doesn’t feel it will take long to become fully attuned.

‘Oh, I think just give me one month and I’ll be totally fit physically,’ said Raskin.

‘When you arrive into a team, you need time to know the principles of the team but hopefully I can grow and be a better player than I’m showing now. ‘I feel good. The boys have helped me a lot. We still have some connections to make and to get better. Like sometimes I want to play forward because I’m used to playing forward.

‘We just need to know each other better. But I’ve only been here for three weeks and as time goes on we’ll get better and better.’

That should be an interesting prospect for Rangers supporters to witness. They filled three stands at the Tony Macaroni Arena, making Raskin’s first away game in Scotland unlike any in Belgium.

‘It was something special because we felt at home with more fans than Livingston,’ he said. ‘It was very nice. I’ve never experienced an away support like that.’

Livingston’s often-criticised artificial surface actually felt more familiar. ‘In Belgium, as a young boy, we train on the astro, so I’m used to it,’ said Raskin.

The victory took Beale’s unbeaten record to 14 games, 13 of them wins. Extending it through the coming weekend would put a trophy in the cabinet and give the Ibrox boss the perfect platform to try and alter the wider balance of Old Firm power.

For now, Raskin (above) is impressed by the mindset within the squad he has joined.

Since Beale’s arrival, Rangers have gone away to Aberdeen, Ross County, Dundee United, Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Hearts and Livingston — and won them all.

It’s been a radical transformation from the struggles during Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s tenure, when the win rate on the road was nearer 50 per cent.

You would think the current run of results would breed positivity throughout but there was a curious sideshow in Livingston. One that referred back to Beale allowing Thistle to equalise after Tillman had unwittingly kicked off a storm last weekend.

Not long into Saturday’s game, a banner in the usual typeface of the Union Bears fan group was unfurled behind one of the goals. It read: ‘Two trophies in 11 years. Uphold the standards that matter.’

Now, some claimed this might have been a message to the board or the players, but neither of those groups spoke about upholding standards last week. That had been Beale after his widely-praised act of sportsmanship.

Taking a pop at a manager with an impressive early record a week before an Old Firm final was a really odd thing to do. Especially as Beale’s course of action had clearly been right for both the club and for Tillman. The fact Rangers actually ended up beating Thistle anyway appears to have been lost.

Away from that puzzling fixation, events on the pitch were largely low key until Livingston left-back James Penrice grabbed a fistful of Alfredo Morelos’ jersey when a Ryan Kent cross was in the air.

The VAR check felt interminable before referee David Dickinson was finally summoned to the pitch-side monitor. Penalty.

Home boss David Martindale felt the award was ‘very harsh’. Penrice, though, had no need to cling on so noticeably.

James Tavernier dispatched his 50th career spot-kick. The Ibrox captain was only getting warmed up in terms of dead-ball expertise.

Penrice snatched at a chance to equalise, as did former Rangers youngster Stephen Kelly.

Any lingering anxiety about the outcome was removed when Stephane Omeonga clipped substitute Kemar Roofe just outside the area to earn a second yellow card. Tavernier stepped up to whip an unstoppable free-kick into the top right-hand corner.

Roofe did his Hampden chances no harm in a sharp-looking cameo after replacing Fashion Sakala. He completed the scoring on 85 minutes, firing high beyond Shamal George at the second attempt following a scramble prompted by a Borna Barisic delivery.

LIVINGSTON (4-3-2-1): George 6; Devlin 6, Fitzwater 6, Obileye 6, Penrice 5 (Montano 70); Omeonga 5, Sean Kelly 6 (Shinnie 55), Pittman 6; Bradley 5 (Holt 53), Stephen Kelly 5 (Guthrie 70); Nouble 6. Subs not used: Hamilton, Longridge, De Lucas, Boyes, Bahamboula. Booked: Stephen Kelly, Omeonga, Holt. Sent off: Omeonga. RANGERS (4-3-3): McGregor 6; Tavernier 8, Goldson 7, Davies 7, Barisic 7; Raskin 8 (Sands 88), Cantwell 7, Kamara 7 (Rice 88); Sakala 6 (Roofe 69), Morelos 6 (Colak 79), Kent 6 (Wright 88). Subs not used: McLaughlin, King, Devine, Lovelace. Booked: Tavernier. Man of the match: Nicolas Raskin. Referee: David Dickinson. Attendance: 8,752.