Barry Ferguson reveals what he ‘hated’ as Rangers manager amid Russell Martin sack talks
Barry Ferguson is rooting for Russell Martin to turn things around at Rangers.
The former Southampton boss is under extreme pressure at the Gers after failing to win any of his opening five matches in charge in the William Hill Premiership.
Martin’s replacements are already being assessed at Ibrox after the 2-0 loss to Hearts in the league on 13 September, which was their first in G51 in 11 years.
Andrew Cavenagh might look to appoint Ferguson once again after letting him leave at the end of last season, but there’s one aspect of the job the former Scotland international doesn’t envy.
Rangers fans right to be upset as Russell Martin has hard time at Ibrox
Ferguson “hated” the reaction he got from supporters on occasions last season, but it was completely justified.
After losing to Motherwell and Hibernian at Ibrox last season under the interim manager, the fans were justifiably angry.
The Gers icon feels he may have an idea of how Martin must be feeling at the moment, but hopes the Glaswegian outfit can get out of their slump soon.
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
Ferguson wrote in the Daily Record on 19 September: “But did I understand why I was getting in the neck? Absolutely. No disrespect to Motherwell or Hibs, but when they came to our place, nothing but a home win was ever going to be acceptable. Not to me, not to the players and most certainly not to the fans.
“And so when we failed to do our jobs, the reaction from the stands wasn’t just inevitable — it was completely deserved. I hated it. I took it home with me.
“So I have a fair idea of how hard these last few days must have been for Russell to deal with, and there’s nothing I want more for him than to get back out there this weekend and to start turning it around.”
Read More: Russell Martin in head-to-head clash with Ibrox figures, Rangers fans may take his side
Hibernian match a must-win for Russell Martin
Hibernian will travel to Ibrox on 20 September in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final, and the former Southampton boss is undoubtedly fighting for his future in G51.
Even if the Light Blues end up beating Hibs, Cavenagh may still decide to sack Martin after seeing first-hand what fans feel about him at Ibrox, with protests and boycotts planned.
The Glaswegian outfit haven’t pleased their supporters by backing the Scottish manager, with calls for his dismissal ringing loud since the 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off.
It feels like the 39-year-old head coach’s sacking at Ibrox is inevitable, considering the poor results and the toxic atmosphere in G51 just 12 games into the season, but it remains to be seen whether the decision-makers at Rangers have other ideas.
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