Rangers set to make Russell Martin sack decision after he’s fallen at the first hurdle
Russell Martin is edging closer to the sack at Rangers amid ongoing calls for his head following their defeat to Genk in the Europa League.
The boss has won just four of his 14 games in charge across all competitions, leading to calls for his dismissal both inside and outside of Ibrox.
Rangers fans have called for Martin to be sacked with protests ongoing at Ibrox and threats to boycott games should he remain in charge.
Meanwhile, Rangers have begun preparing to replace Martin and are exploring potential alternatives just four months after he was appointed as their new head coach.
Russell Martin falls at first hurdle as Rangers sack plan revealed
Football Insider revealed on 20 September that games against Hibernian, Genk, and Livingston would be key for Rangers, with one win and one loss from those games so far.
However, as I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Martin needed four wins from Rangers’ next four games to save his job.
The first of those four games came in their opening Europa League clash where Rangers lost 1-0 against Genk courtesy of a goal from Oh Hyeon-gyu.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “The pressure is still firmly on Russell Martin, there’s no getting away from it, but the win over Hibs gave him much-needed breathing space.
“That was their first win in six games under Martin, so his future still hangs in the balance, while they’re still waiting for their first league win of the season.
“The next four games are going to be huge for Martin’s future at Ibrox before the international break.
“They have Genk at home in their opening Europa League game where they’ll be desperate to get off to a winning start to put their Champions League humiliation behind them.
“Then they’ve got Livingston away, Sturm Graz away and Falkirk away. Those are four games they should win, and if he can get four wins from those four games, it’ll ease the pressure and any growing unrest.
“If he can’t get positive results in those four games, then the writing could be on the wall.”
Wins against Livingston, Sturm Graz and Falkirk have now become even more crucial following the Genk defeat, with Martin fighting for his job.
Rangers lined up Martin replacements as search begins
Football Insider revealed on 21 September that Rangers have begun assessing alternatives to Martin with a number of candidates believed to be keen on the position.
Sean Dyche has been tipped to take over at Rangers if Martin is dismissed, while the likes of Davide Ancelotti and Steven Gerrard are also linked with the role.
All three bosses were considered during their search for a permanent boss just four months ago before they ultimately decided Martin was the man for the job.
Martin has seemingly been given just weeks to save his job at Ibrox, with calls from the fans now reflected in the actions of the board as his position is becoming untenable.
The decision to assess potential alternatives has now paved the way for his exit, with his future in his own hands as he knows he must now start to win games consistently.
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