Andrew Cavanagh ‘smacked in the face’ in Rangers vs Genk clash
Rangers slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Genk in their first Europa League match of the season.
Russell Martin continues to face pressure from fans who demand that he be sacked, following the club’s woeful start to the season.
Andrew Cavenagh has backed Martin throughout the season, yet he has a tough decision on his hands as fans are directing their anger towards him.
With over 12,000 Gers fans boycotting the Genk match, the financial implications may force Cavenagh to make the decision to sack Martin.
Andrew Cavenagh’s tenure at Rangers has gone disastrously wrong
Ibrox has been a cauldron of noise for many famous European nights in the past, yet the Genk affair highlighted the chaos that was unfolding at Rangers.
Speaking after the match on TNT Sports, former Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield spoke about how the fan unrest is not what Cavenagh envisioned when he took over in June.
He said: “It works both ways: the crowd needs the players, the players need the crowd.
“Cavenagh put investment in this club for nights like this; it was meant to be for nights like this, where the place is rocking.
“It would have smacked him in the face with what he’s heard, with what he’s seen.”
Arfield was part of the Rangers squad that made it to the 2022 Europa League final under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and knows all about how special a place Ibrox can be when things are going well.
It’s clear that the Rangers class of 2025/26 is a shell of the special team that Arfield was a part of, yet there are some players who have good potential to be a part of something special.
Rangers have been woeful as a collective, with Martin making history for all the wrong reasons:
- Rangers’ worst start to a league season for 47 years
- They currently sit 11th and remain winless in the Scottish Premiership
- Their 9-1 aggregate Champions League playoff exit means they’ll play Europa League football for the second consecutive season.
The likes of Nico Raskin and Jack Butland have performed well this season, yet Martin’s open playing style has seen Rangers leak 19 goals in 14 matches.
Cavenagh will be shocked by how badly the appointment has gone, and he might have to swallow his pride in order to appease the Rangers fans.
Fan protests will continue if Russell Martin isn’t sacked
Rangers fans protested against Martin and Patrick Stewart ahead of their 2-0 win over Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup.
The boycott against Genk has spelled even more trouble for Cavenagh, and Rangers’ next home match against Falkirk on 5 October could see even fewer supporters in attendance.
It’s clear that this experiment has not worked out, and the costly process must be put to a halt at risk of future mutiny at Ibrox.
Martin’s credentials have never lined up with what it takes to be a manager in Govan, and Cavenagh is finding that out in the most difficult way possible.
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