Russell Martin now faces Rangers sack after disgusting scenes vs Hearts
Rangers slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday as things went from bad to worse for Russell Martin.
Martin faces more calls to be sacked by Rangers following a shocking performance, which has left them 10th in the Scottish Premiership.
Club legend Ally McCoist was hugely critical of Rangers’ performance and demanded better from Martin following the loss.
The result doesn’t feel like a shock, as Rangers fans have experienced many painful results during his tenure, which now looks set to be cut short.
Rangers face boos yet again as shock stat emerges
Lawrence Shankland was linked with Rangers in the summer, and his two goals saw Hearts claim a first Ibrox win since 2014.
The defeat means that by mid-September, Rangers have now played 12 games this season and have failed to beat a Scottish team that plays above League One.
Rangers were booed off the pitch at half-time, full-time, and during parts of the match, with the most notable incident coming when Martin was jeered for substituting Connor Barron for Joe Rothwell.
This kind of statistic is hugely damming for Martin, and it’s not a shock that most fans want him gone.
- Gained four points from five Scottish Premiership matches
- Sit 10th in the league
- Knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers
Martin’s first two months in charge have gone as badly as he could have hoped, with there being serious doubts he will make it to the end of October.
Read more: Tom English can’t get head around what Russell Martin’s now done at Rangers
Russell Martin’s style of play found out yet again
Hearts manager Derek McInnes got his game-plan spot on, sitting deep and hitting Rangers on the counter.
Nasser Djiga and John Souttar were exposed once more for the first goal, with Shankland running off the back of them and finishing confidently.
Rangers’ lack of urgency and penetration was laid bare for all to see at Ibrox, as Martin’s possession-based football is yet to have any success.
| Rangers | Stat | Hearts |
| 66 | Possession (per cent) | 34 |
| 1.00 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.62 |
| 14 | Shots | 12 |
| 0 | Big chances | 3 |
| 43 | Duels won (per cent) | 57 |
Despite Rangers having slightly more shots, it’s clear to see that hardly any of their opportunities were anywhere near as good as the ones that Hearts fashioned.
Martin is stuck in his ways when it comes to his philosophy, and if he is given the chance to manage Rangers’ next match against Hibs, then the football must dramatically change.
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