Ferguson responds to Russell Martin appointment news at Rangers – Exclusive
Russell Martin continues to be mentioned as the next Rangers manager as the 2024-25 campaign nears its conclusion.
Rangers exited the Europa League to Athletic Bilbao on Thursday (17 April) and now have nothing left to play for over the next month.
Barry Ferguson has been in charge since Philippe Clement was sacked at Ibrox in February and is in the mix to stay on permanently.
Martin has also been touted with the job and is now considered the favourite among some bookmakers.
Martin appointment wouldn’t excite Rangers fans
Martin, who represented Rangers during his playing days, has been out of work since being sacked by Southampton in mid-December.
The Englishman had a defined style of play with the Saints, but it ultimately did not work in the Premier League after he guided them to promotion last season.
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | Points | Points per Match |
| 73 | 34 | 13 | 26 | 126:118 | 115 | 1.58 |
And in the view of Derek Ferguson, the brother of Barry, it is not an appointment that would go down well with Gers fans.
“Truthy, I don’t think the Rangers fans would fancy that,” he exclusively told Ibrox News. “Between the two (Barry Ferguson and Martin), I’m sure they’d rather stick with Barry right now.
“Martin’s style of football is good, but he wasn’t winning games at Southampton and perhaps had chances to change it up. He was too intent on playing the same way.
“It’s not a criticism of him, but if Rangers are going to appoint a manager, they’ll be looking at a bigger name.
“The fans are not all that bothered by nice football, it’s winning football, so they’ll be looking for a bigger name if they do make a new appointment.”
Martin speaks out on Rangers job
Martin has already been asked directly about the Rangers job links, saying he’s “really open” to challenges away from the Premier League.
Peter Grant recently warned Martin about the challenges of managing a club like Rangers, but that is something he will already be aware of.
Martin would not be the worst appointment in the world, but nor would it be one that gets supporters truly excited for a new era under the 49ers.