‘Russell Martin needs to get rid of…’ – Sportscene pundit in disbelief after Rangers draw
Rangers put out another frustrating display on Saturday as the Gers drew 1-1 with Dundee at Ibrox.
James Tavernier had to save the hosts with a last-gasp penalty to secure a point.
It was an incredibly disappointing performance, especially after Rangers dismantled Viktoria Plzen 3-0 in the week.
As a result, Russell Martin’s wait for a first Scottish Premiership victory goes on, with the Gers winless in their opening two fixtures.
Steven Thompson: Rangers must end sloppy performances after Europe
Twice this season, Rangers have managed to follow up a stunning result in Europe with a lacklustre draw in the Scottish Premiership.
Last weekend’s draw against Motherwell was equally frustrating, with Martin questioning his Rangers players’ attitudes in the aftermath of the game.
Now, after the 1-1 draw against Dundee, there is a real fear that this could become a habit once again at Ibrox.
- Rangers have already dropped four points this season
- This is despite it looking likely that the Gers will progress into the Champions League playoff round
As a result, Steven Thompson told BBC Sportscene on 9 August that Martin simply must put an end to this costly trend.
Firstly, Gordon Smith said: “How can they put in that type of performance in Europe and yet?”
Steven Thompson then butted in and said: “This happened last season. They’d have a brilliant performance, come back, and fall flat.
“It is something that Russell Martin needs to get rid of quickly.”
- Read more: Russell Martin loses Ibrox crowd, Cyriel Dessers looks done – Three things learned vs Dundee
How costly are Rangers’ performances after Europe?
In the 2024/25 campaign, the Gers played 14 European matches. However, Rangers would usually follow this game up with a victory.
Last season, in the 13 domestic matches that followed, the Glaswegians won 10, with their only defeat coming in the Scottish League Cup final to Celtic.
Therefore, while Thompson is right that Rangers’ performances were sometimes poor after Europe, they usually aren’t this costly.
| Rangers’ first domestic result after a European match in the 2024/25 campaign | |
| Wins | 10 |
| Draws | 2 |
| Losses | 1 |
This is something that Martin will have to immediately address.
Given the number of new signings the Scotsman has overseen, it is simply unacceptable that the Gers are dropping so many points early in the season.
Hopefully, this will be sorted out in time for the Old Firm derby at the end of the month, or Martin could see himself under pressure already.
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