Kevin Thelwell and Gretar Steinsson ambush ‘huge’ American investment at Rangers, they must be held to account
Russell Martin has taken the brunt of criticism from Rangers fans this season, but fingers should also be pointed at those above him.
Fans at Ibrox chanted for Martin to leave Rangers as they were beaten 2-0 by Hearts to continue their worst start to a season in nearly 50 years on Saturday.
The manager has been rightfully criticised, with Kris Boyd among those calling for Martin’s exit, but less anger has been directed at the club hierarchy.
Rangers underwent a huge overhaul at the top level, with Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises overseeing a takeover and new investment, but this has not gone well so far.
Kevin Thelwell and Gretar Steinsson slammed
As part of the overhaul at Ibrox, the new Rangers owners appointed Kevin Thelwell as sporting director, while Gretar Steinsson also works with the Gers as part of a wider technical director role with 49ers Enterprises.
Both figures were instrumental in bringing Martin to Rangers, as well as overseeing a summer of heavy spending with several questionable signings for over £20million.
| Chairman | Andrew Cavenagh |
| Vice-Chairman | Paraag Marathe |
| CEO | Patrick Stewart |
| Sporting director | Kevin Thelwell |
| Technical director | Gretar Steinsson |
| Manager | Russell Martin |
In his column in the Daily Record, Keith Jackson slammed Thelwell and Steinsson and even claimed that they have wasted the investment from the new ownership.
“The American’s huge investment and bold plans have been ambushed by arrogance and ineptitude, or to give them their proper names, Gretar Steinsson and Kevin Thelwell,” Jackson wrote.
“The pair have landed the new owner right in the brown stuff, and they ought to be held to account for their gross incompetence.
“By allowing Martin to continue haemorrhaging on the sidelines, they’ve also abdicated their responsibilities.
“Cavenagh should start by asking what it was that made his new sporting director and the 49ers football guru so convinced they knew better than everyone else on the ground in Glasgow, when they headed up the recruitment process that led to Martin’s appointment in the first place.”
Kevin Thelwell to come under huge scrutiny
As things stand, Cavenagh has given Martin his full backing despite all the calls for him to be sacked, and this is a very worrying development.
If Thelwell and the Rangers board cannot see that Martin has to be replaced, then calls for them to also go will only become stronger.
Thelwell deserves a lot of scrutiny, first for bringing Martin in, then for backing him relentlessly, and for investing heavily on signings which so far, are not working under his management.
If Martin does go, then Cavenagh needs to seriously consider Thelwell’s future based on the role he played in his arrival.
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