Russell Martin confusion emerges amid growing Rangers pressure
Russell Martin hasn’t been getting the results he wants at Rangers.
The former Southampton boss was appointed at Ibrox this summer and has overseen two draws in his first two Scottish Premiership matches.
He has led his team to the Champions League playoff stage, but now has a mountain to climb after Rangers lost the first leg 3-1 to Club Brugge.
Martin has asked the Rangers fans for patience, but frustration is already simmering around the blue half of Glasgow.
This article includes exclusive comment from former Rangers defender David Robertson.
Rangers boss Russell Martin accused of not knowing his strongest XI
Some Rangers fans are growing frustrated with how often Martin switches up his team selection.
Nicolas Raskin is one player who has found himself in and out the team, as Martin attempts to juggle his large squad.
Rangers boss Martin doesn’t appear to be settled on his first-choice striker, either.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News, former Rangers defender David Robertson questioned whether the manager knows his strongest team.
He said: “I think you need a lot more continuity in the team.
“I think he’s obviously bringing in players and trying to get them on the pitch, which is fine, and maybe he doesn’t know his strongest 11.
“If you look at the Panathinaikos games where they played really well, I don’t know why he doesn’t stick with that team. One of two injuries maybe, but there just seems to be too much chopping and changing.
“I’ve been in that situation before as a manager where you might not get the results you want and you’re tempted to keep changing to find a solution, and invariably it doesn’t work.”
Russell Martin needs to find his winning formula quickly
There is more than one way to build a winning team, but Martin needs to find his solution soon.
It’s not uncommon for new managers to change their team more than often, as they won’t have had time to learn which players they can rely on in certain situations.
When you have made 10 new signings over the summer, you may want to introduce each of them into the team at different times.
While most fans want to see a settled starting XI, that’s only if it contains the players who they want to see in the team.
There’s no way Martin can please everyone with his team selection. He just needs to find his way to get the team back on track.
In an ideal world, his starting XI will
- Outwork their opponents
- Run their hearts out for 90 minutes plus stoppage time
- Stop making basic defensive errors.
It might not sound like much to ask for, but recently his Rangers team has struggled to meet these fundamentals.
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