Jim White cannot believe what he has heard about Russell Martin and Rangers
Russell Martin has emerged as the frontrunner for the manager’s role at Rangers.
The position has been vacant since interim boss Barry Ferguson departed Govan at the end of the season.
The 49ers Enterprises group completed their takeover on Friday (30 May) and want the new man to be in charge as soon as possible.
Davide Ancelotti and Steven Gerrard were linked with the vacancy but it seems like Martin is the preferred contender after the latest updates.
The former Southampton man has been in advanced talks with the Light Blues but nothing has been announced yet.
White hits back at Simon Jordan’s Scottish Premiership comment
Martin’s appointment at Ibrox has been widely perceived as an underwhelming one, after his dismal stint with the Saints in the Premier League.
Simon Jordan criticised the potential appointment and slammed the status of Scottish football in the process.
Speaking on talkSPORT (3 June, 12:22 pm), he said: “You have to look at the standard of Scottish football and say ‘well, he is a Championship manager, so that must mean Rangers are a Championship side, albeit, they will play in Europe and albeit, they are elite in Scottish football.
“That means to me that the standard of Scottish football is Championship level, so it might be a decent appointment.
“It doesn’t fill me with a great deal of that is exciting for Rangers, it doesn’t fill me with all that sensible, it is almost like, to some extent, which disease do I like the least.”
White responded, saying: “Oh right, that’s a bit strong, isn’t it?”
Rangers claims from Jordan are absurd
Jordan’s claims are utterly absurd. To label the Gers as a Championship-level club is a woeful argument considering their European exploits in recent seasons.
The Gers were Europa League quarter-finalists this past season, losing to Athletic Bilbao after beating the likes of Fenerbahce, Malmo, Nice and securing a draw against Tottenham.
Secondly, his criticism of the potential new manager is well over the top. Martin’s stint in the top flight was poor, but the South Coast outfit were outmuscled in terms of finances and their squad.
| Russell Martin’s managerial career | Time spent | Win percentage |
| MK Dons | 2019-21 | 37.5 per cent |
| Swansea City | 2021-23 | 36.36 per cent |
| Southampton | 2023-24 | 45.21 per cent |
Martin could succeed in Govan. It is not fair to judge him entirely on a dismal stint at the elite level as it would not be an issue with the Bears.
He will be handed significant backing from the 49ers ownership group to improve the squad at his disposal, and his possession-based tactic is better suited to the Gers given that they are one of the two dominant teams in the country.
He is a much safer bet than Ancelotti, who would be a total newcomer to management, and if he is given the reins, he can get to work on proving Jordan and the other doubters wrong.