Following what was, by all accounts, a bad 0-0 draw with Falkirk, Rangers Football Club announced the firing of their head coach Russell Martin. The move follows a mere four months at the helm, making Martin the shortest-serving manager in the club’s history. His time at the helm came crashing down with the team marooned in league’s eighth place. They were 11 points adrift of leaders Hearts and nine points behind their biggest rivals Celtic.
Russell Martin’s arrival at Rangers in June 2025 on a three-year deal was met with significant fan and media skepticism. Concerns about his capacity to steer the storied club were clear from the start. Patrick Stewart, CEO of Rangers, stepped up to the plate to meet these concerns head on. He added that the club was “not deaf to the noise” around the appointment.
During his short stint, Martin expressed a desire for the season to commence only after the transfer window had closed. That ambition didn’t produce on-pitch success right away. Following a disheartening defeat to Motherwell, Martin publicly questioned the mentality and ego of some players, which raised eyebrows among supporters and analysts alike.
In a stroke of genius ahead of the season’s first Old Firm encounter, Martin had opted to leave midfielder Nicolas Raskin out of the match-day squad entirely. Selection of this controversial choice led to tremendous backlash and outcry.
Martin’s tenure at Rangers overlapped with some major player exoduses. On Deadline Day, the club followed up their surprise Patrick Bamford signing with another shock by bringing in €11m Youssef Chermiti. This was Rangers’ biggest spending spree in a quarter of a century! Sporting director Kevin Thelwell exerted significant influence to this transfer. He had already collaborated closely with Martin on player acquisitions.
Despite these efforts, Martin’s leadership produced disappointing results. So it was to be the draw against Falkirk that would prove the final straw. Following the game, tensions quickly heightened when Rangers fans trapped the team bus. Martin due a police escort to safely leave Falkirk’s stadium.
This decision places Rangers in a continued cycle of mismanagement and ill-fate, as Pedro is the fourth managerial casualty in less than three years. The club looks for stability and a new direction, a question looms as to who will be in charge next.
“Rangers need a strong character that’s going to build it not only on the pitch, but off the pitch at the training centre.” – Russell Martin
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