Russell Martin needs a blazing start for Glasgow Rangers | OneFootball

Russell Martin is unquestionably the most unpopular Rangers manager there’s ever been, despite getting the side to the third round of the UCL.

He begins his Premiership quest at Fir Park today, and unlike most bosses goes immediately into the fixture under pressure. This is a boss who will be scathingly rebuked for every small error he makes, and for every point he drops.

Philippe Clement talked about having credit in the bank, and eventually admitting he’d run out. Russell Martin already has very, very little.

It’s a bizarre situation when a manager is already under pressure before the first league match, but that is what we have.

Yes there’s the ‘give him a chance ffs’ and ‘get behind the team ffs’ and ‘back the manager ffs’ crew who will always support whoever the boss is.

But the majority of fans this time are either cautious about this manager or downright against him.

That’s the surreal situation going into the opening match as we travel to Motherwell.

Not even winning will win fans over. But drawing or losing will get knives out already.

Martin was desperate for this job, and the club cheaped out giving him the gig. He has to hope he delivers out of his skin to win over his many doubters.

Martin knows the scrutiny is relentless. A nervy spell, a poor substitution, a lapse in shape. All of it magnified under the microscope of a fanbase tired of false dawns and hollow promises.

There’s no room for ‘building something’ this time. Supporters want instant results, they want dominance, they want a Rangers side that looks like it belongs at the top from minute one. Anything less and Martin’s already threadbare support will unravel further.

It’s not just the league either. European performances matter. The UCL third round is an achievement on paper, but it means nothing if the team crumbles in the tie. For Martin to survive, he needs not only wins, but statements – blood and thunder victories that say “Rangers are back.”

And yet it doesn’t feel like that kind of season is coming. Not yet. Not with a team still finding its feet and a manager still learning how to stand up straight under this weight.

He’s been given the keys to Ibrox, but fans are watching closely to see if he stalls at the gate.