Russell Martin sack pressure soars as ‘huge wad’ of American money thrown at Rangers deal
Russell Martin has faced constant scrutiny since he was appointed Rangers manager.
Results on the pitch have been far from ideal for Martin, with Rangers’ 0-0 draw with Celtic in the Old Firm ensuring they have taken just four points from as many league games.
However, players like Hamza Igamane being moved on will surely help, as distractions will now be at a minimum with the transfer window closed.
With the Bears’ summer transfer business now concluded with a deadline day flurry, one of their new arrivals has been heavily under the microscope already.
Andy Newport sceptical of Youssef Chermiti deal
Chermiti, 21, joined Rangers from Everton for an initial fee of £8million, which could eventually rise to £10m with add-ons.
With Cyriel Dessers’ departure, the Gers needed another striker alongside Bojan Miovski, considering the disappointing form Danilo has displayed so far this season.
Despite the need for more firepower up top, Andy Newport shared that he feels the move is a risky one for Martin to sanction, given the youngster’s price tag.
- Chermiti is Rangers’ most expensive signing since 2000
- The striker has a total of seven career goals and just 20 starts in his career as a professional
- Newport feels the move is a massive gamble for an unproven player
Newport also questions whether Martin, Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart’s decision to spend a “huge wad” of the cash the 49ers and Andrew Cavenagh have afforded them on Chermiti was the correct decision.
Writing in the print edition of the Daily Record, Newport said: “A more critical appraisal might be to suggest that Russell Martin, sporting director Kevin Thelwell and chief exec Patrick Stewart have just shelled out a huge wad of the American dollars provided by Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers.
“For Martin, though, the pressure levels continue to soar.”
Youssef Chermiti deal seems to make little sense
Although Martin did need to bring in another body up top, spending that amount on a player who is likely to play second fiddle behind Miovski is ludicrous.
This is, unless Martin plans on changing his system and deploying two strikers.
Martin faces huge pressure to not only play, but to get the best out of Chermiti, and has shown stubbornness in changing his ways so far.
Chermiti was simply too expensive to be anything other than one of the first names on the teamsheet, and with Miovski’s previous goalscoring prowess in Scotland, there is a high chance that the young star ends up warming the bench for Rangers, similar to how he did for Everton.
If the former Sporting Lisbon man is anything other than a success in Glasgow, it could prove to be the straw that finally breaks the camel’s back when it comes to the 49ers’ decision to sack Martin.
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