Russell Martin on Rangers brink after escaping with a point from Paisley | OneFootball

Russell Martin is closer than ever to the exit door at Ibrox after another abysmal result that underlined Rangers’ shocking start to the season. The 1-1 draw with St Mirren did not just waste two more points, it also continued a grim pattern of mediocrity that has left the fans furious. Three consecutive league draws already put Rangers behind the pace and it is not even September. Rangers stumble under Russell Martin again.

Excuses

Rangers supporters are sick of the excuses. They watched as St Mirren took the lead and saw their side struggle badly to create clear chances. Although Findlay Curtis equalised late on, the team again failed to show the killer instinct that separates contenders from also-rans. Jack Butland saved Rangers from outright defeat with a vital stop in injury time. It was another embarrassing chapter in a season that has barely started.

Pressure grows with every passing week. Rangers are a club built on demands for success yet Russell Martin has begun his tenure with timid football and dreadful results. The fans did not expect miracles but they certainly expected more than three straight 1-1 draws and a limp Champions League exit looming large. His appointment already looked like a gamble and now it looks like a mistake of the highest order.

Imagination

The St Mirren draw matters not just because of the points dropped but because of the performance itself. Rangers showed no imagination and lacked belief. When a team of this size cannot break down organised opposition, serious questions hit the coaching. Russell Martin insists his side is building but supporters only judge results. The evidence proves Rangers are going backwards, and mainstream analysis backs that up.

The board cannot hide from this any longer. Fans stay patient when progress appears, but the anger inside the stands tells its own story. The upcoming Old Firm clash at Ibrox is now critical. Should Rangers fail again, the noise calling for change will become deafening. It already feels inevitable.

Martin clings on because the board want to avoid another managerial upheaval so soon after the last. Yet history at this club shows results always matter more than stability. Supporters demand leaders who can win and they have seen nothing to prove Martin is that man. Rangers cannot afford another wasted season drifting behind their rivals. Rangers stumble under Russell Martin again.

The truth is clear. Russell Martin is closer than ever to the exit door at Ibrox. The supporters know it, the players surely sense it, and the board cannot ignore it for much longer. Another result like this and his reign could end before it ever truly began.