McCormack reacts as Rangers fan says he’ll tear up season ticket over Russell Martin
Rangers’ hunt for their next permanent manager has ebbed and flowed on numerous occasions in recent weeks.
It looks set to be a crucial appointment for the Govan outfit, with their city rivals Celtic having once again established total dominance of the Scottish Premiership.
Former Real Madrid assistant Davide Ancelotti has been in the running for several weeks, but now Russell Martin looks set to take the reins at Ibrox.
Andrew Cavenagh has signed off on the deal to appoint the 39-year-old, who will pen a long-term contract with the Bears.
Ross McCormack bites back at angry fan
Martin’s teams play a particularly distinctive style of free-flowing possession-based football, which is sure to make his appointment at Rangers a controversial one.
His Southampton side were relentless during their Championship promotion season, but were picked apart far too easily on their return to the top flight, with Martin drawing plenty of criticism for being unwilling to alter their setup.
Martin’s appointment has been discussed on Radio Clyde’s Superscoreboard show (4 June), where one fan called in to suggest that he will rip up his season ticket after hearing the news.
Former Leeds United, Aston Villa and Scotland striker Ross McCormack bit back at the fan, saying: “Would you have been happy if Steven Gerrard came back?”
The fan responded that he would have been delighted, which prompted McCormack to point out that Gerrard’s record in the Premier League is similar to Martin’s.
He continued: “He (Gerrard) got sacked by an English Premier League club too.”
Martin should be given a chance by Rangers fans
Martin’s struggles in the Premier League are well-publicised, but it’s also important to remember that in the Championship, his Saints side were a joy to watch.
The Rangers board have clearly decided that they want the team to play a progressive, possession-heavy style, and with that in mind, there are few in the modern game who can deliver that better than Martin.
| Russell Martin | Steven Gerrard | |
| Games | 252 | 287 |
| Wins | 101 | 156 |
| Draws | 56 | 65 |
| Losses | 95 | 66 |
| Win % | 40.08% | 54.36% |
He arrives with the goal of ending Celtic’s run of four consecutive league titles, and the last man to deliver the title to Ibrox was Gerrard.
The former Liverpool midfielder is held in high regard by the Bears for his role in preventing their rivals from notching an unprecedented 10 consecutive league titles, but his record in the Premier League was similarly disappointing to Martin’s.
Gerrard lasted just under a year in his role at Villa Park and was sacked with the club hovering just above the relegation zone.
His Villa stint is the perfect proof that success in the Scottish Premiership doesn’t equate to success in the Premier League, which means that conclusions shouldn’t be drawn from Martin’s brief top-flight stint.