Rangers told they can’t sack Russell Martin – ‘the fans have to realise this’
Rangers have been told they won’t be able to properly replace current manager Russell Martin despite calls for change from supporters.
Martin is under intense pressure at Ibrox, following a horrific start to the season, which sees the Gers sitting 11th in the Scottish Premiership.
The Glasgow giants were also knocked out of the Champions League at the play-off stage, after an embarrassing 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge.
On Saturday (20 September), Rangers beat Hibernian 2-0 in the League Cup, but that did little to relieve the pressure on the former Southampton boss.
Aberdeen’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004, had lengthy spells as the chief of Everton and Aston Villa and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that the owners would be unable to find a suitable replacement for Martin if they did sack him.
Rangers won’t be able to attract top-tier managers
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Wyness insisted that if Rangers were to part company with Martin, they would be unable to attract top-tier managers due to the toxicity around the club.
The 39-year-old is the Scottish side’s third boss of 2025, following on from Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson.
Wyness added that the fans have to realise that consistently sacking managers is not the answer.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “If the fans get their wish, then you’re going to see just a parade of managers and nobody will want to be at Rangers. That’s what the fans are going to realise. They have an inflated belief of how important Rangers is, but it’s becoming a toxic place to go.
“I don’t think any decent manager will take the job if Russell Martin goes so quickly. You’ll always get somebody to come and be a manager, but you won’t be able to shop at the top shelf. The fans are going to realise this.
“There are ways for you to express your anger, and of course you’ve got every right to do that. But to keep demanding that people are sacked all the time is not the answer.
“By all means, you’re a fan base and I respect that. Make your presence felt and make your statements, but don’t keep asking for people’s jobs to be gone unless there’s a real reason behind it. They just need to cast their minds back to how this club was under the previous ownership. The last board was pathetic.
“They’ve now got to be grateful for what they’ve got and a chance to rebuild. Getting behind their team might be a better use of their energy and their emotions, but it won’t happen in Glasgow. I know it too well.”
Martin given two games to save Rangers job
Meanwhile, any poor result in Rangers’ next two games could see Martin sacked, sources have told Football Insider.
After their win against Hibernian, the Gers face Genk in the Europa League, before travelling to Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.
Sources say negative results in any of the next two games would make Martin’s dismissal inevitable, and he is targeting wins in both.
However, the board remains hopeful that he can turn their dismal early-season form around and eventually win back the faith of the supporters who have already turned.
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