Philippe Clement sends 49ers message after Martin appointment at Rangers
Rangers have finally found their permanent successor to Philippe Clement.
The Belgian was sacked in February after a 2-0 loss to St Mirren at Ibrox, with the Gers sitting 13 points behind Celtic.
His interim replacement, Barry Ferguson, steadied the ship but could not bridge the gap to Brendan Rodgers’ side at the end of the season.
Russell Martin is the new Head Coach at Ibrox, signing a three-year deal.
It is a summer of change in Govan with the 49ers Enterprises and Andrew Cavenagh taking a controlling stake, and Clement has sent a message ahead of the new era.
Clement sends Martin message amid Rangers changes
Paraag Marathe and Co took a 51 per cent majority stake in the Auchenhowie outfit on 30 May after months of negotiations.
They have now appointed Martin as Clement’s permanent successor, and the 50-year-old has spoken out on what needs to happen for the ex-Southampton man to succeed.
Speaking to BBC Sport Scotland (5 June), he said: “A lot of things changed over and over again, I hope, because that is the main thing that is necessary with the club, their club’s stability.
“To work in a good way with the players, with the staff, with everybody in the club, to have a consistent story.
“I think that is a big part that the club has been lacking for years already, and I hope that the new owners can bring that for the club, for the manager and also for the players.”
49ers need to trust Martin
The 39-year-old’s appointment has raised eyebrows amongst the fanbase in Govan after his disastrous stint in the Premier League with the Saints.
Martin refused to alter his possession-based tactical philosophy despite being outmuscled at the elite level, both in terms of finances and the players at his disposal.
He was sacked in December 2024 after 13 losses from 16 matches, leaving the South Coast outfit nine points away from safety after securing promotion from the Championship.
However, the Gers cannot use that as a stick to beat Martin with, his tactics should suit the Scottish game a lot more, as they are one of the dominant sides in the country and he will be backed with a significant budget to improve the squad.
The majority of the playing squad are not good enough and their standout players, like Nico Raskin and Mohamed Diomande may be poached by teams south of the border amid rising interest in their services.
Clement may not be loved in Glasgow but he has a point, the Light Blues need stability after years of chaos behind the scenes.
If the new ownership can stabilise the club, they will give their new boss a much better chance to succeed, where the ex-Monaco man and Ferguson failed.