Rangers star with 89% pass completion and four interceptions proves Russell Martin wrong with stellar international display
Russell Martin’s failures as Rangers manager are already beginning to stack up against him as the pressure builds at Ibrox.
Football Insider understands that Rangers are laying the groundwork to sacking Martin after an awful start to life in Scotland, having won just three of his 11 matches in charge since taking charge this summer.
As part of those games, the Gers have been knocked out of Champions League qualifiers and have dropped six points behind their Old Firm rivals in the Scottish Premiership table.
Martin could have been sacked with a defeat to Celtic, but after a frustrating goalless draw at Ibrox, neither team left feeling satisfied ahead of the international break.
Nico Raskin falls down the pecking order at Rangers
One player who would have been thankful for the international break is Nico Raskin. There has been plenty of speculation around his future, but it seems unlikely that he will leave now.
Raskin was left out of the Rangers squad to face Celtic, a decision which came after the player’s father publicly slammed the under-pressure manager after several questionable decisions.
The majority of supporters were furious with the former Southampton figure for snubbing the talented midfielder, who notched five goals and 11 assists last season, even earning a call-up to the Belgium team.
He was involved at international level once again, scoring his first goal for the Red Devils in Belgium’s resounding 6-0 win over Kazakhstan to move level on points with Wales in World Cup qualifying Group J.
Russell Martin proven wrong days after snubbing Rangers star
The 24-year-old midfielder scored the third goal of the night, being assisted by Man City‘s Jeremy Doku, as well as remaining a strong figure in the centre of the park throughout his performance.
In 71 minutes, he maintained an 89 per cent passing accuracy, as well as a 100 per cent shot accuracy, made 13 passes into the final third, won 71 per cent of his ground duels, and made four recoveries [FotMob].
After full-time, RTBF (7 September), awarded him a seven-out-of-ten rating, citing that the player gave Belgium’s offence a “new lease of life” in the final third, highlighting what everyone knows he is capable of.
Martin had successfully closed off the outside noise from the Ibrox supporters, but after the player’s performance on the international stage, there is only so much running the manager can do from his own mistakes.