Alex McLeish shares ‘painful’ Russell Martin verdict live on talkSPORT
Russell Martin has found his short spell at Rangers to be marred by protests amid an underwhelming start to his tenure.
The 39-year-old managed to register his first win since mid-August after defeating Hibernian 2-0 in the quarter-final of the Scottish League Cup last time out.
Rangers fans organised protests before the Hibernian game, which helped to set up a semi-final tie against rivals Celtic.
Ibrox was awash with empty seats during last weekend’s win, with many supporters already turning on Martin, as the Gers have recorded their worst domestic league start since 1978.
Ahead of Rangers’ pivotal Europa League clash against Genk, former boss Alex McLeish offered his thoughts on Martin.
McLeish pinpoints Martin frustration at Rangers
Speaking on talkSPORT, McLeish was honest about his thoughts on Martin’s desire for Rangers to play out from the back.
He said: “Russell, he is trying to do the play out the back (and) sometimes it can be a wee bit painful to watch.
“I say that about lot of teams, even in the Premier League, some top teams in the Premier League also, by the time you get to the halfway line it’s been five minutes.”
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Martin must make use of the tall talisman Bojan Miovski
Kris Boyd stated that he does not see a way out for Martin and will inevitably find himself removed from the role as manager.
His style of play has certainly faced a huge amount of scrutiny. Playing out from the back has not been a success thus far. Martin has been told to make tactical tweaks at Rangers in a bid to arrest their poor form.
With just four points from a possible 15 in the league, Martin’s current approach has not been a success.
Although playing out from the back appears to be the route Martin wants his team to travel down, there will be times in the Europa League when Rangers must stick to direct football.
| Wins | 0 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Goals Against | 5 |
Bojan Miovksi arrived from Girona on 30 August and grabbed his first goal in just his second appearance against Hibernian last weekend.
The North Macedonian has SPL experience, having reached double figures in both full seasons with Aberdeen and carries a large presence on the pitch.
Measuring at 6’2″in, Miovski could hold the key in pushing Rangers up the field by holding up long balls, and become a cog that allows Martin’s side to play flowing football in the opponent’s half.
It is important for the Gers manager to approach the Europa League with a practical mindset, as producing good form in Europe could reveal a road out of the chaos that has ensued in the opening games of the season.
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