Rangers Fans Voice Concerns as Patience Wears Thin | OneFootball

Russell Martin Under Fire as Rangers Struggle to Find Their Identity

Winless Start Leaves Rangers Reeling

Another day, another debacle for Russell Martin and his winless Rangers team in the Scottish Premiership. Three games, three draws and sitting seventh in the table, already six points adrift of the leaders they were meant to be challenging. It marks their worst start to a league season in 36 years, an unwanted statistic that is beginning to define Martin’s tenure at Ibrox.

Listening to Martin, you would not think his team are in crisis. Outwardly, his confidence appears unshaken. After the 1-1 draw against St Mirren, there was no acceptance of responsibility, no admission of tactical shortcomings. Instead, the manager chose to focus on the players, saying they were not responding as expected.

Martin also raised eyebrows when criticising some squad members for their attitude. He claimed Hamza Igamane, the young striker who attracted a bid last week, refused to come on as a substitute after an hour, citing injury. Whether that was truth or a smokescreen, it casts an unflattering light on the internal problems brewing within Rangers.

Recruitment Missteps and Missed Opportunities

Martin was brought in to inject energy, courage and conviction into a side often accused of lacking these qualities. Instead, Rangers look exactly as they did before: nervous, disjointed and devoid of creativity. There is a sense of promises unfulfilled, the idea that everything will click once the players grasp Martin’s ideas. Yet the message may be part of the problem.

Questions over recruitment also loom large. Had Rangers, backed by supposed new money, moved decisively for Lennon Miller in early summer, the midfield might look very different. Instead, they opted for Joe Rothwell, a signing whose purpose remains unclear. “It’s really hard to know what Rothwell is attempting to do out there,” was the blunt assessment in some quarters.

The decision to sign Nasser Djiga and Emmanuel Fernandez rather than pursuing a more reliable figure like Scott McKenna has raised further doubts. Vaclav Cerny, a proven performer during a successful loan spell, was allowed to leave, replaced by Oliver Antman, who has struggled to impress. “Antman has flattered to deceive,” sums it up. And if Max Aarons truly represents the best right-back Rangers could secure, then questions must be asked of the scouting process.

Photo: IMAGO

Cheaper, homegrown alternatives such as Kieron Bowie, Josh Mulligan and Lawrence Shankland were ignored. Now, with Cyriel Dessers injured and Igamane potentially disillusioned, there is talk of Bojan Miovski arriving on loan from Girona. “Lord, do they need him,” wrote one commentator. Without reinforcements, Rangers’ forward options look alarmingly thin. Against St Mirren, Martin deployed a side without a recognised centre-forward, and it showed.

Tactical Flaws and Leadership Void

“Rangers not winning at St Mirren no surprise.” Those words encapsulate the current mood among supporters. Criticism of Martin has intensified, not just for results but for the lack of intensity and identity in his football. The manager recently quipped that fans would “criticise him for anything, including his hairstyle.” But the list of grievances is far more substantial.

The absence of urgency and hunger, the sterile possession, the vulnerability in defence – these are the hallmarks of a team drifting without clear direction. Against St Mirren, Rangers conceded a goal that originated from the home side’s own penalty area with just two passes. The defending was hesitant, the response limp. St Mirren’s manager, Stephen Robinson, knew exactly where to exploit Rangers, just as Club Brugge boss Nicky Hayen did a week earlier.

Martin’s pedigree, shaped in England and Europe, was meant to herald progress. Instead, it appears Rangers overlooked practical solutions in favour of glamour. Robinson himself, resilient and relentless, looks a better fit for this squad, but he lacks the continental sheen that appeals to decision-makers.

The defensive calamities continue to pile up. Djiga’s red card against Dundee, the error that gifted Brugge an opener, and John Souttar’s struggles all point to systemic frailty. Fernandez, a £3.5 million signing, was outwitted by Jonah Ayunga in a basic two-on-one situation. “Weak and slapstick” is how one observer described it. Rangers’ back line crumbles under the simplest aerial delivery, with no commanding voice to restore order.

Leadership, or the lack of it, is becoming a defining flaw. With every faltering performance, the void grows larger, and Martin’s inability to fill it more glaring. Rangers scraped a draw against St Mirren, even “won the second half,” as Martin pointed out, but such crumbs of comfort will not satisfy a fanbase accustomed to higher standards.

Mounting Pressure and Uncertain Future

Possession counts for little without penetration, yet Rangers persist with a style that prizes sterile control over cutting edge. If points were awarded for passes, they would be competing with Celtic. Instead, supporters are venting fury, booing the team off the pitch again at Paisley. The anger is raw and growing louder.

What chairman Andrew Cavenagh and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe make of this remains unclear. Distant from the emotional epicentre, they may adopt a more patient stance. They recruited Martin to rebuild a fractured squad and reshape a failing culture, a task that cannot be completed overnight. Starting over with a new manager would involve upheaval and financial cost, so for now, Martin retains their backing.

That loyalty, however, is conditional. Martin must offer tangible evidence of progress, something he has yet to deliver. The immediate fixture list hardly helps: Club Brugge in Europe followed by Celtic in the league. These matches could define the narrative of his tenure. Past Rangers managers, even those deemed inadequate, found ways to bloody Celtic’s nose. Philippe Clement managed a 3-0 win at Ibrox last season. Barry Ferguson beat Celtic 3-2 at Parkhead in his short spell. Fail to compete in the Old Firm, and comparisons will be damning.

After Celtic, the Edinburgh clubs visit Ibrox. Failure to win any of those games would ignite an unprecedented level of toxicity, and that is saying something for a club where pressure is a constant companion. Martin will be granted time, but whether he possesses the tactical clarity and man-management skills to arrest this slide is uncertain.

Right now, the jury is out, though the soundtrack of boos suggests Rangers fans have already reached a verdict. They see a team devoid of inspiration, a manager clinging to ideals that the squad cannot execute, and a club hierarchy gambling on patience while chaos reigns on the pitch.

Rangers need answers quickly. Martin needs them even more. Without a dramatic turnaround, his vision for Rangers could remain nothing more than words, as the reality of another season lost becomes impossible to ignore.