Belgian newspaper reacts to ‘explosive’ Russell Martin situation at Rangers as fates intertwined
Russell Martin is facing the sack just 12 games into his Rangers tenure, after a dismal start to the season at Ibrox.
Rangers lost 2-0 to Hearts on Saturday and sit 10th in the Scottish Premiership, after collecting just four points from their opening five games.
The latest embarrassment comes following a nightmare Champions League play-off tie against Club Brugge, in which the Glasgow club conceded nine goals across two legs.
Martin is expected to be sacked by Rangers in the coming days, with decision-makers at Ibrox under huge pressure to reverse the decision that brought the former Southampton boss to Scotland.
Andrew Cavenagh has reportedly given Martin his backing, but the Rangers Chairman faces huge criticism himself as long as the under-fire manager remains at the helm.
Rangers situation surveyed in Belgium ahead of Genk clash
Philippe Clement was sacked by Rangers in February, with some fans drawing similarities to the Martin situation in the way the board showed their support for the Belgian just two weeks before ousting him.
The former Monaco boss was sacked following a 2-0 loss to St. Mirren at Ibrox, but fans of the Gers might look back on their former manager differently in light of the form under Martin.
Clement boasted a rate of 2.09 points per match over his 86 games in charge of Rangers, a stark difference in comparison to Martin’s 1.17 over his 12 competitive matches so far.
The Gers will take on one of Clement’s former clubs when they host Genk in their Europa League opener next week, and Belgian newspaper Bet Beland van Limburg have weighed in on the managerial situation.
| Rangers – Managers | Points per game (At least 10 managed) |
| Russell Martin | 1.17 |
| Jock Wallace Jr. | 1.19 |
| Kenny McDowall | 1.20 |
| Barry Ferguson | 1.53 |
| Stuart McCall | 1.53 |
“With four points out of 15, Rangers FC sits in third-to-last place in the standings,” the outlet wrote on Monday.
“And for the first time in 47 years, the team is still searching for its first victory of the season after five matchdays.
“Add to that the double European upset of Club Brugge, and it’s no surprise that the situation is explosive in and around Ibrox Park.”
A loss against Genk would be the latest in what has been a series of Belgium-related Rangers embarrassments, with Clement’s sacking and the calamitous displays against Club Brugge.
Belgian side can end Russell Martin’s Rangers tenure
The public display of support is often a Trojan horse for a manager under pressure.
As seen in many such cases, the statement is usually followed by a brief period of trust, before the inevitable sacking is finally delivered.
That territory appears to have been breached for Martin, and a loss against Belgian side Genk in the Europa League opener could well serve as the final nail in the coffin of his Rangers tenure.
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