Sacked after Celtic? Russell Martin's Rangers era may be over before it began

Those who have tracked the 39-year-old's rise as a manager will not be surprised at the teething issues Rangers have faced since his summer appointment.

The Ibrox outfit are yet to win a Scottish Premiership game, struggling to draws against Motherwell, Dundee and St Mirren, while the Champions League qualifying campaign that had proved a respite for the summer appointee has quickly turned into a nightmare.

Rangers were dismantled twice by Club Brugge in the play-off round. Losing 3-1 at Ibrox before falling to a record-equalling 6-0 defeat in Belgium on Wednesday.

Martin apologised to supporters after the "humiliating" and "painful" loss but reaffirmed his belief that his side "will progress, move forward and grow" and told BBC Sport that the club chiefs "understand this might take time".

Indeed, when the Scottish side moved to appoint the former Southampton boss this summer, the American owners would have known that the start to his tenure was likely to be rocky.

The high defensive line and expansive passing style that form Martin's footballing ideology take time to bed in. At Saints, he won just three of his first 10 games on a run that included heavy defeats to Sunderland and Leicester; at Swansea City, he won only four of his first 14 games; and he began his MK Dons tenure with four straight defeats.

In all of those spells, there was early fan frustration at the defensive mistakes and initial struggles but he was afforded the patience to develop his ideas and had relative levels of success. In Rangers, however, he may have found a beast too big to wrangle to his will.

While at Southampton, Swansea and MK Dons, he was able – with time and through strength of character – to turn the tide, there is a different level of pressure and expectation at Ibrox.

Martin has stuck to his usual playbook – calling out his players in combative press conferences and making bullish claims about the glorious future he can deliver. Indeed, when combined with improving results, his cocksure approach usually endears him to his own fans and frustrates supporters of other clubs.

At Rangers, the signs of progress have not been there to back him up. The high defensive line has left his side far too vulnerable; it could have been double figures in the second leg against Club Brugge, while his team selection remains a mystery to many, and his players have often looked toothless when it matters.

He retains the backing of the American owners but a thrashing at the hands of Celtic in Sunday's Old Firm derby at Ibrox may see the dissenting voices reach fever pitch and Martin's Rangers era end before it has really begun.

Rangers v Celtic coverage begins at 11am on Sky Sports Football on Sunday 31st August 2025 – you can sign up for Sky Sports now.

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