Rangers players scared as ex-Celtic player launches scathing attack
Rangers’ dismal start to the season became even worse following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Hearts.
Martin is facing calls to be sacked from Rangers fans, as performances continue to get worse under his management.
Whilst Andrew Cavenagh continues to back Martin, fans have grown more impatient with the former Southampton manager, as the club sits 10th in the Scottish Premiership.
Rangers’ transfer strategy was to focus on young players, yet following the early-season form, one former Celtic player has criticised the mentality of the squad.
Peter Grant says Rangers lack leadership during tough times
Following Rangers’ 2-0 defeat to Hearts, Martin came out and said his players felt scared during the game.
Speaking on The Go Football Radio Show on 15 September, former Celtic midfielder Peter Grant had some harsh words for the Rangers squad.
He said: “I look at the group and I see no leadership at this moment, and there hasn’t been for a long time.
“The Rangers team just looks like a group of boys that are under all this pressure, and they have no one to tell them on the pitch, ‘hold the bus.’”
James Tavernier has been the Rangers captain since 2018, yet Jack Butland and John Souttar are among senior figures in the dressing room who should feel hurt by that comment.
| Player | Age |
| James Tavernier | 33 |
| Jack Butland | 32 |
| Joe Rothwell | 30 |
| Liam Kelly | 29 |
| John Souttar | 28 |
Despite having some experienced players, Rangers have fielded three out of the ten youngest starting lineups in the William Hill Premiership this season.
This is a huge change from when Rangers had the oldest squad in the league back in 2022, a year after they had won the league under Steven Gerrard.
With Martin having to deal with a young squad, former Rangers manager Barry Ferguson believes that this is affecting the team’s confidence when playing at Ibrox.
Rangers squad can’t deal with Ibrox atmosphere
Also speaking on The Go Radio Football Show, Ferguson claimed that the young players are not used to an atmosphere as daunting as Ibrox.
He said: “The Rangers fans are very demanding, that’s the way it’s always been and it will never change.”
“You need to be able to handle those situations when you’re getting noise from the stands, you need to be brave, and you clearly see it’s affecting a number of the players at the moment.”
Tavernier has been criticised for comments he made following the Hearts match, where he acknowledged that the team must improve.
However, actions speak louder than words, and Tavernier must lead by example and his talking on the pitch if fans are to change their mind over the current state of affairs at the club.
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