Russell Martin ‘in danger of self-delusion’ at Rangers over James Tavernier
Russell Martin may need to evolve at Rangers already after another draw in the Scottish Premiership against Dundee on Saturday.
The Gers hosted Steven Pressley’s team at Ibrox on 9 August, but failed to show their European form domestically.
After Ryan Astley gave the visitors the lead in the 51st minute, it was a James Tavernier penalty in stoppage time that rescued a point for the Light Blues in the 1-1 draw.
The Glaswegian outfit will be confident of going further in the Champions League after beating Viktoria Plzen 3-0 in the first leg of the third qualifying round, but the Scottish manager must learn from his mistakes.
Max Aarons not an upgrade over Tavernier at Rangers
Martin is “in danger of self-delusion” if he feels Max Aarons is the right replacement for Tavernier at the Gers, Keith Jackson says.
The Daily Record journalist believes the Bournemouth loanee has been underwhelming in the five competitive appearances he’s made for the Light Blues this season.
With the former Southampton manager at risk of appearing unreasonable due to his decision regarding the 25-year-old defender at Ibrox, the head coach arguably has some major flaws to address.
- Aarons joined the Gers on loan this summer.
- The 25-year-old has looked uncomfortable playing at right-back and left-back.
- Tavernier has contributed more at the Glaswegian outfit in the early stages of the season.
Jackson wrote in the Daily Record (11 August): “And to compound matters, Martin’s better judgment seems oddly flawed. For example, if he truly believes Aarons to be an upgrade on skipper Tavernier, then he’s in danger of self-delusion.
“Aarons has started all five of the manager’s first games in charge and has impressed in none of them. By instinctively passing the ball back the way, Aarons might tick a box in Martin’s possession stats. But this approach does very little in terms of progressing his teammates into the areas where they really need to be.
“If Martin persists with the Bournemouth loanee as his first-choice right-back, he’s also at risk of appearing bloody-minded and stubborn.”
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How long before Martin is sacked at Ibrox?
Martin may be at risk of being sacked at Ibrox in the coming months if things don’t turn around quickly at the Gers.
The Light Blues are already four points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, and by the time the Old Firm Derby ends, things could potentially get worse.
Brendan Rodgers’ team haven’t had the best of summer transfer windows, with fans in G40 frustrated with how things have gone, but they still seem better off than the Bears.
| Statistics | Rangers | Dundee |
| Possession | 76% | 24% |
| xG | 2 | 0.35 |
| Total shots | 20 | 7 |
| Big chances missed | 0 | 1 |
| Fouls committed | 13 | 4 |
Rangers risk losing Nico Raskin before the end of August if Martin continues to keep him on the bench, with Tavernier also dropped in recent weeks.
The Belgium international was a key player for the Gers last season, but it looks like the 39-year-old head coach prefers Joe Rothwell in the number six position.
With supporters in G51 expecting to knock Celtic off their perch, if the Light Blues look to be in a position where they can’t do so, Martin could potentially vacate his hotseat at Ibrox by Christmas.
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