Rangers fans boo Russell Martin’s crazy in-match decision as Hearts win at Ibrox
Rangers suffered a 2-0 defeat to Hearts, with the visitors claiming their first win at Ibrox since 2014.
Pressure continues to mount on Russell Martin as Rangers remain winless in the Scottish Premiership.
Lawrence Shankland’s double proved to be decisive as Rangers fans continue to lose patience with the former Southampton manager.
One decision Martin made during the match drew fury from the Ibrox faithful.
Connor Barron’s substitution met with huge boos at Ibrox
Martin substituted Barron for Joe Rothwell in the 56th minute, with the change bringing loud boos from the Ibrox crowd.
Barron had been one of Rangers’ bright sparks, moving the ball quickly in midfield.
Rothwell proved to be ineffective for Rangers, as the side started to lose their momentum soon after he was introduced.
Considering his midfield partner Mohamed Diomande went on to give away the penalty that led to the second goal, Martin would have been better off keeping Barron on the pitch.
| Stat | Barron vs Hearts |
| Minutes played | 56 |
| Touches | 44 |
| Tackles | 3 |
| Pass accuracy (per cent) | 92 |
| Ground duels won (per cent) | 80 |
The 23-year-old joined Rangers from Aberdeen last summer, and featured 46 times last season.
Barron’s early ejection from the pitch isn’t the only issue Rangers fans have regarding the midfield.
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Nico Raskin a huge miss for Rangers during Hearts defeat
Raskin was omitted from the Rangers squad against Hearts by Martin on Friday.
The lack of penetration in attacking areas shown by Diomande and Thelo Aasgard was exposed, and the game was crying out for some of Raskin’s magic.
Raskin and Martin were set to repair relations once the midfielder got back from internation duty with Belgium, yet his exile from Saturday’s match casts further doubt on his future at G51.
With the club in further trouble, Martin’s decision to take off the effective Barron could prove to be one of the final decisions of Martin’s Rangers career.
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