‘I Didn’t See’ – Former Rangers Star Rubbishes Russell Martin Claim | OneFootball

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Former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday says that he does not buy manager Russell Martin’s claim that the Gers were aggressive in the second half against Genk.

Rangers hosted Genk in a Europa League fixture, which we previewed, with both managers under pressure after enduring abject results domestically and with rumours of having lost the dressing rooms swirling.

Despite assurances that Genk were a different kettle of fish to Club Brugge, at whose hands Rangers suffered elimination from the Champions League, the Gers were subjected to defeat by former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu’s 55th minute goal, with Martin claiming post-match that he had asked his men to be aggressive after Mohamed Diomande’s 41st minute red card.

Halliday claimed that his old side did not really create much, with chances coming few and far between.

The former Rangers midfielder was taken aback by Martin’s statement, claiming that he did not witness aggression of any sort.

Halliday said on BBC Sportsound: “I’m surprised he said Rangers were aggressive.

“I didn’t see an aggression.

“I certainly didn’t see them create chances.”

Halliday also noticed the empty seats at Ibrox, commenting that he was surprised at kick-off, but was not surprised that it had emptied near the end of the clash as Rangers struggled.

The 51,700-seater Ibrox was undersold, with only 38,000 present at kick-off, when European nights are usually anticipated with fervour by the faithful.

“I was surprised at the amount of empty seats at the beginning of the game, but I wasn’t surprised at the amount at the end of the game.

“I understood it.”

Oh broke the deadlock in the second half, but the South Korean international could have had a hat-trick after missing a penalty in first-half injury time and spurning other opportunities.

Diomande’s rash challenge and the subsequent red card worryingly followed a familiar pattern of defensive frailty and individual errors.

Martin hailed his team after his side’s win over Hibernian progressed them to the Scottish League Cup semi-final and claimed that he was loving the process of working with his team during a difficult time ahead of the Genk clash.

The defeat further piles pressure on Martin, who continues to be backed by the club.

His counterpart at Genk, Thorsten Fink will breathe a sigh of relief, confident that this away win will buy him more time to fix his own side’s form.