Sources: Rangers forgotten man waiting for Russell Martin to be sacked
Russell Martin is fighting to save his job at Rangers after a string of disappointing results despite being just five months into his tenure.
Following Rangers‘ 2-1 defeat to Sturm Graz in the Europa League, Martin has now won just five of his 16 games in charge at Ibrox, adding to the growing pressure.
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.
In the meantime, however, a number of players in his squad are believed to be considering their futures if he remains in charge ahead of the January transfer window.
Martin has fallen out with a number of key players previously, including the likes of Nicolas Raskin and Hamza Igamane, while Clinton Nsiala has been left out in the cold.
Clinton Nsiala waiting for Russell Martin to be sacked
Nsiala was criticised for his performances last season and has yet to feature so far this season, leading to suggestions he could be on his way out of Ibrox.
However, as I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Nsiala may decide to wait until Martin is sacked rather than pushing for a move away as there is a feeling he could outlast the manager’s time in charge.
The centre-back may opt to bide his time before pushing for a move as he believes he will be given a fresh start under a new boss should changes be made.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “Obviously he’s not figured under Russell Martin since the former Southampton manager’s arrival at Ibrox.
“It doesn’t appear that he does have a long-term future under Martin, but we know things could change at Ibrox, especially if a new manager is appointed to replace the under-fire Martin.
“That would mean a clean slate for everybody. So Nsiala will be waiting to see what happens there because that might give him the opportunity to win back his place in the plans of a new manager as well.
“While Martin remains in charge, I don’t think he is going to change his mind on Nsiala and he will continue to find himself on the sidelines.
“As we said, with so much pressure on Martin, things could quickly change and then Nsiala could be back in favour under a potential new manager.”
Nsiala’s lack of football this season has led to ongoing speculation about his future ahead of the January window, and he could leave regardless of the manager’s future.
Martin sack update emerges at Rangers
Martin remains at risk of being sacked by Rangers as they sit eighth in the league table, seven points short of Celtic and nine shy of league leaders Hearts.
With two defeats in their opening two Europa League games, the break from domestic football has provided little respite for the manager amid growing pressure.
Despite a 2-1 win against Livingston in their last league game, Rangers fans continued to chant for Martin to be sacked in the immediate aftermath of their late winner.
With the club already searching for a potential replacement, former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Steven Gerrard is a contender for Rangers.
This comes after Ibrox legend Ally McCoist tipped Gerrard to return to Rangers, and make an immediate impact, labelling him “tremendous”.
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