Russell Martin told one necessity by Barry Ferguson amid Rangers sack calls
Rangers will look to kickstart their season against hearts on Saturday, as Russell Martin searches for his first Scottish Premiership win.
Martin is facing calls to be sacked at Ibrox, as Rangers remain winless in their four league matches.
Rangers play in three different competitions over the next few weeks, and it represents a crucial period in their season.
Former interim manager Barry Ferguson has had stern words of advice for Martin, and details the one mistake he can’t make.
Rangers should only focus on closing the gap on Celtic
Following Rangers’ 0-0 draw to Celtic, the Gers remain six points behind their rivals.
Celtic are currently in turmoil, with fans furious at the ownership for the lack of business in the summer transfer window.
In an article written by Ferguson in the Daily Record on 11 September, Ferguson highlighted the need for Rangers to just focus solely on their own results as that is the only necessity for Martin right now.
He said: “I don’t care what the performance looks like on Saturday. I just want three points on the board and the gap between Rangers and Celtic cut to three.
“Let’s not forget Hearts are also sitting six points clear of Rangers after a solid start under Derek McInnes and he’ll be rubbing his hands at the thought of extending that gap at Ibrox. “
Life at Ibrox has started poorly for Martin, who is one of the most under-fire managers in Europe right now.
- Recorded four draws from first four Scottish Premiership games
- Was knocked out of the Champions League following 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge
- Fallen out with star midfielder Nico Raskin
The match against Hearts on Saturday will say a lot about how Rangers respond to the criticism that has been thrown at them over the past month.
- Read more: Kevin Thelwell warned he could get axed already by Andrew Cavenagh in double Rangers sacking
Barry Ferguson statistically outperforming Russell Martin
Ferguson wanted to remain at Rangers, but ultimately the board went a different way, choosing Martin instead.
However, despite Ferguson managing four more games than Martin, he has a much better win percentage in charge of Rangers than the former Southampton manager.
| Manager | Games managed | Win percentage at Rangers |
| Barry Ferguson | 15 | 40 |
| Russell Martin | 11 | 27.27 |
Whilst Ferguson may have not been the right man for the job, it’s clear to see that Martin is performing far worse in more ways than one.
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