Rangers to make Russell Martin sack decision as ‘serious questions’ asked
Russell Martin is facing growing pressure on his position at Rangers with “serious questions” set to be asked following a dismal start to his tenure.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the boss must turn their fortunes around in the near future.
Doubts stemming from the manager’s time at Southampton have been carried over to Glasgow, and there is now a demand to see clear improvements.
Football Insider revealed on 25 August that Martin is under “huge” pressure from Rangers fans with discontent already beginning to grow amongst the supporters.
Martin’s side have drawn all three of their opening SPFL games so far, and were knocked out of the Champions League after losing 9-1 on aggregate to Club Brugge.
However, Football Insider revealed on 26 August that Rangers are unlikely to sack Martin immediately, even with the first Old Firm derby of the season approaching.
Russell Martin pressure grows after Rangers sack latest
This article contains exclusive comment from Mick Brown, a football transfer expert and former chief scout for Man United and Sunderland among others.
Football Insider revealed on 22 August that Rangers are not expected to sack Martin despite an “embarrassing” start to the season and growing pressure.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience working closely with elite-level managers including the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Ron Atkinson, insisted that the speculation about his position will only continue to grow amid doubts about his management.
“Russell Martin is already under sack pressure,” he told Football Insider.
“At a club like Rangers, you don’t have the start to the season they’ve had without some serious questions being asked about the reasons for that.
“To be honest, things I heard about his time at Southampton never filled me with confidence.
“He’s very much the type of manager who expects things to be done his way.
“Sometimes that’s good, it can give you a direction, but not when those things aren’t working.
“We saw at Southampton he refused to deviate from the style of play despite giving goals away left, right and centre, and now he’s struggling at Rangers.
“I don’t think he’ll be sacked immediately by any means, but the warning signs are there.
“I’m all for having principles you want to stick by, but when you’re insisting on a certain way of playing that is not working, something has to change.
“If he’s not willing to make changes for the better of the team, then somebody else might have to.
“He hasn’t been at Rangers long enough to see if he’s learnt from that Southampton spell, but he will need to show improvements soon because he’s under pressure.”
Hamza Igamane could leave Ibrox after Champions League defeat
Martin is not the only Rangers asset with speculation about his future, as Hamza Igamane continues to be linked with a move away from Ibrox.
Football Insider revealed on 25 August that Rangers could be forced to accept offers for Igamane following their elimination from the Champions League.
Meanwhile, the forward refused to come off the bench during the 1-1 draw against St Mirren, casting more doubt over his future at the club.
This comes after Football Insider revealed on 2 August that Igamane’s future could depend on Rangers’ Champions League qualification.
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