Rangers players to be dropped after Martin dressing room scenes at Fir Park
Rangers looked to be heading to an opening-day victory over Motherwell only to be foiled late on.
James Tavernier opened the scoring for Russell Martin’s side in the first half, but the Gers never looked convincing as they succumbed to a 1-1 draw.
Former Celtic player Chris Sutton took a swipe at Rangers after the game by stating that it was a good point for the Ibrox outfit.
Now, it seems that multiple players are to be dropped by Martin after the dressing room scenes at Fir Park.
Rangers players face axe after Motherwell draw
Martin will have learned much about his Rangers side after an unconvincing display in the Scottish Premiership.
The Bears have not tasted victory on the opening day since 2021, which is turning into a familiar issue for the Glasgow club.
Despite being the favourites to clinch a victory, it was Motherwell who recorded more shots than their opponents.
While Martin did not name-drop any of his players, it is clear that he was fuming with some of his team’s performances.
It is a quick turnaround for the Light Blues, who face Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday night in the Champions League.
| Date | Competition | Opponent |
| 5 August | Champions League | Viktoria Plzen (H) |
| 9 August | Scottish Premiership | Dundee (H) |
| 12 August | Champions League | Viktoria Plzen (A) |
However, former Rangers goalkeeper Cammy Bell – a guest on talkSPORT (3 August, 7:49am) alongside Tony Cascarino and Natalie Sawyer – believes Martin would have singled out individuals in the dressing room.
Cascarino said: “When you want to just jog around, and that’s what you do, and no more, basically, not to name them was the surprise because privately he might have in the dressing room.
“We know, we’ve been in dressing rooms when a manager will just point to you and say, ‘Well, what are you doing today? What were you jogging around for? Well, I’m asking you to close down, and you’re not doing it’.” In the dressing room, I’m sure he would have called them out.”
Bell replied: “Yeah, 100 per cent. For me, he absolutely would have called them out. I think we’ll find out in midweek as well because I don’t think they’ll play. The players who he has called out won’t start the game on Tuesday night.”
Martin to make statement in Champions League
One thing that is certain is that Martin will make a statement with his team selection on Tuesday night.
Clearly, the 39-year-old was not impressed with what he saw, and if he makes a couple of changes, it will be easy to see who he was referring to.
Of course, the match against Viktoria is crucial, given the Bears will play at home first in the two-legged affair.
While it is not all or nothing, anything other than a win will put the Gers in a tentative position.
Sign up for the Ibrox News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Rangers news sent straight to your phone.