Chris Sutton reacts as outraged Russell Martin axes senior Rangers stars v Viktoria Plzen
Rangers continue their Champions League journey on Tuesday as they host Viktoria Plzen at Ibrox.
Russell Martin’s reign at the Gers initially started on a positive note as they progressed into the third qualifying round.
However, a 1-1 draw against Motherwell on Saturday saw the manager fume at multiple players.
Martin criticised some Rangers stars’ attitudes and told them to “drop their egos” in the wake of the disappointing performance.
Now, the Scotsman has followed this up by dropping numerous players ahead of Viktoria Plzen.
Martins drops four players for Rangers v Viktoria Plzen
With plenty of the line for the Champions League third qualifying round, Martin has made a massive statement in his starting line-up.
The manager has dropped James Tavernier, Kieran Dowell, Nico Raskin and Danilo from the XI, despite many being the stars in the squad for years.
While the impact of this decision and how it will affect the outcome of the match remains to be seen, many were quick to react to the news.
This included Chris Sutton who took to X (5 August) to comment on the team sheet.
The former Celtic man simply put: “I wonder who Russell Martin was talking about on Saturday evening,” with an eyes emoji.
Team news is a massive gamble from Martin
While Martin may believe he is right to drop some of Rangers’ stars, it is a massive gamble from the manager.
Viktoria Plzen are no pushovers and reached the round of 16 in the Europa League last season.
If the Ibrox faithful witness a defeat on Tuesday, it will greatly damage Rangers’ chances of progressing in the competition.
- Rangers are two ties away from qualifying for the Champions League proper
- The financial gains of reaching the league stage are massive
On top of this, it could increase the players’ egos even more as it proves they are needed on the pitch for the big ties.
Hopefully, Martin’s gamble will pay off, and Rangers will secure an important advantage going into the second leg.
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