Russell Martin Announces His Rangers Captain, and Fans Are Fuming | OneFootball

Russell Martin today confirmed that James Tavernier will remain Rangers captain for the foreseeable future — and it is, frankly, a backwards step from a manager who had the perfect chance to reset. The former Swansea boss had an open goal in front of him. He could have made a statement, drawn a line under years of mental fragility and inconsistency, and signalled to the Rangers squad that a new era had begun. Instead he has opted for the path of least resistance by keeping Tavernier in post.

Supporters had already made their feelings clear. This Ibrox Noise poll showed a staggering 95 percent of fans wanted the armband removed. They have watched their side repeatedly fall short in crunch matches while the captain gives his usual post-match platitudes. There comes a point when loyalty becomes weakness. Russell Martin may be trying to win the dressing room but he is alienating the stands.

This was Martin’s first big call and he bottled it. As we pointed out, ripping the plaster off early would have shown strength. Instead he has doubled down on a regime and a captain that have overseen some of the most humiliating collapses in Rangers history. When Celtic have their own rebuild underway, Rangers needed to show bite. Instead this article proves the fans expected more.

Even Sky Sports danced around the issue, focusing on transfers and structure, but the heart of the matter is this — Martin had a golden chance to shake things up and he chose comfort. If this is a sign of things to come, then we may be in for another era of false dawns and soft leadership. And the fans will not accept that.