Russell Martin ‘making things worse’ after what he did with Rangers players after sack latest
Rangers are in a crisis with Russell Martin under serious pressure, and he has made further headlines for another baffling decision.
Martin has failed to win any of his first five Scottish Premiership games in charge, and Rangers fans are calling for his dismissal after a woeful start.
It has since emerged that after Rangers were beaten by Hearts at Ibrox, Martin took his squad to Loch Lomond for a team bonding session, in which the players went swimming in the lake on Monday.
The manager has been derided for making such a bizarre decision, and Martin has now been accused of making an already tough situation even worse, despite being backed by the board.
Jamie O’Hara slams Rangers trip to Loch Lomond
Former Premier League midfielder Jamie O’Hara has now laid into Martin, as he cannot believe the choice of destination, as well as the timing, of a team bonding session for Rangers.
“If I were a player, I would be absolutely fuming,” O’Hara told Sky Sports News.
“Why would I want to go swimming in Loch Lomond on a team bonding session? Give me some golf clubs and we’ll go and play Loch Lomond, or get the fishing rods out for the day, then fair enough.
“What are you talking about, going swimming in Loch Lomond? It’s freezing. How is that a team bonding session? That’s pain.
| Matches | 12 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Draws | 5 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Goals | 15 |
| Conceded | 19 |
| Points per game | 1.17 |
| League position | 10th |
“Russell Martin is getting it all wrong; that’s not team bonding. He’s trying to make it worse. He’s never had the dressing room.
“If he came in and said ‘right lads, team bonding session today, we’re going to go swimming in Loch Lomond,’ do me a favour, I’d be like ‘is this gaffer having me on?’
“If you’re having team bonding sessions at Loch Lomond after five games, you ain’t got the dressing room. He’s got serious problems.”
Russell Martin has problems within Rangers dressing room
Given the pressure the Rangers manager and players currently find themselves under, a team bonding day may not actually have been the worst idea. Clearing their heads ahead of the next game could prove to be positive, regardless of the activity.
However, Martin has serious problems in the dressing room which cannot be fixed by a swim in Loch Lomond.
Nicolas Raskin was absent against Hearts as his feud with Martin continues, and the longer he is left out, the worse it will be for the manager.
Hamza Igamane also refused to play before he was sold to Lille, and Martin clearly does not command a lot of authority among his players.
Martin has publicly criticised his squad on several occasions, which is a sign of a fractured dressing room, and it may be broken beyond repair for him at Ibrox.
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