Todd Cantwell instantly reacts to Martin appointment news at Rangers
Rangers supporters may have been made to wait, but Russell Martin has finally been announced as the new manager at Ibrox.
The 49ers Enterprises and Andrew Cavenagh spent time deliberating between different possibilities, with Martin and Davide Ancelotti appearing to be the final two in the race.
However, it is Martin who is tasked with taking the Gers back to the top of the Scottish Premiership, and Todd Cantwell has already made his feelings known.
Cantwell backs Martin for success at Rangers
Throughout the process of the managerial search at Rangers, there was no clear indication of which route the new American owners would take.
There is plenty riding on this appointment, shaping the way that their tenure starts at Ibrox.
However, the opinion of those around the club has been fairly mixed already.
The possibility of Ancelotti was seen as a risky one, as it would have been his first solo job, with no promises of replicating his father’s abilities.
Meanwhile, while Martin has worked his way up the pyramid in England, his stubbornness in the Premier League was one of Southampton’s downfalls this term.
| Job | Win Rate |
| Southampton | 45.21% |
| Swansea City | 36.36% |
| MK Dons | 37.5% |
One man who is in favour of the appointment, though, is Cantwell.
After the confirmed announcement, the Blackburn Rovers star took to his Instagram story to say: “One of the best I’ve worked with, really exciting times.”
His message was accompanied by a handshake, love heart eyes and blue heart emojis.
49ers must back Martin
Now that an appointment is in place, the 49ers and Martin must get straight to work with plenty to be done to get Rangers back up towards the levels they should be at.
Even if the new manager has the right abilities, his hands will be tied without the necessary players to execute his plans.
With the likes of Hamza Igamane and Nico Raskin, there is certainly the opportunity to see some of the current squad push on under the 39-year-old next season.
While expectations must be measured at Ibrox, as growth has to be achieved in a sustainable way, there must be visible signs of improvement next season too.
The new era at Ibrox is well underway now.