Russell Martin must abide by free advice handed to him by Rangers legend, it could save his job
Russell Martin faces a tough month ahead, as Rangers must kickstart their season with a win against Hearts on Saturday.
Martin is winless in his first four Scottish Premiership games, and also suffered the embarrassment of Rangers’ 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League qualifiers.
The transfer window is shut, and all the chaos that surrounds it is now in the past, leaving Martin with the perfect opportunity to prove to the fans why he should remain in charge.
The style of play has been thoroughly criticised by fans and media alike, with Martin seemingly set in his ways.
Martin has been given advice by a Rangers legend, who demands he change one thing ahead of the clash against Hearts.
Barry Ferguson pleads for Russell Martin to change his style of play
Ferguson was the interim manager at Rangers for the second half of the 2024/25 season.
In an article he wrote for the Daily Record, Ferguson made clear that Martin’s style of play counts for nothing if results are not forthcoming.
He said: “When Hearts come to Ibrox on Saturday, Rangers will get the opportunity to relaunch their whole season and it’s one they simply cannot afford to miss.
“Maybe Martin will come round to the realisation all the style and pretty patterns in the world won’t matter a damn in this city unless Rangers are winning games of football.
“I certainly hope so, as I don’t know a Rangers fan out there who takes any comfort from watching their team drop points just because they might have played some attractive stuff in the process.”
The Ibrox arrivals of Youssef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski could lead to Martin making tweaks to his system too fit both players in.
However, as it stands, Rangers enjoy far too much of the ball whilst not posing enough of a goal threat in games.
| Stat | Rangers’ rank amongst other Scottish Premiership teams |
| Possession | 2nd (62.6 per cent) |
| Expected goals (xG) | 5th (4.5) |
Martin has been known for his possession-based style of play dating back to his first job at MK Dons.
He secured promotion with Southampton in 2023/24, but was sacked in December, as Southampton went on to become one of the worst teams the Premier League has ever seen.
It’s clear that at an EFL club the philosophy can work, but in the Premier League, his weak Southampton defence was consistently torn apart week in, week out.
Ibrox is one of the most unforgiving places in world football, and Rangers fans are starting to make it clear that they are against this style of play.
Rangers play Hearts on Saturday, and come up against a side who are flying at the top of the league, and are the most efficient team in the league when it comes to the final third.
- Most xG in the league (6.4)
- Most goals scored in the league (10)
- Most shots on target per match (5.8)
A loss to Hearts would be devastating for Martin, and he will need to change things tactically if he wants to secure his first league win as Rangers manager.
Rangers need to play into Bojan Miovski’s strengths
Arguably Rangers’ best signing of the summer, Miovski has a huge weight on his shoulders to score the goals for Rangers.
After a brilliant spell for Aberdeen, Miovski returns to Scotland with more pressure asked of him.
Known for his brilliant finishing and movement in the box, Rangers need to start penetrating defences with speed in order to get the best out of the North Macedonia international.
Should Martin stick with just one striker, Chermiti will be ready to challenge Miovski from the bench.
Either way, Martin fails to get the best out of Miovski and Chermiti, then his sacking will come much sooner than anticipated.
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