Rangers sacking Russell Martin now would be act of mercy at Ibrox after latest scenes
Rangers finally secured their first victory of the Scottish Premiership season following a dramatic 2-1 win over Livingston on Sunday.
Max Aarons’ last-gasp strike confirmed the three points for Russell Martin, with Rangers on the cusp of another hugely embarrassing result.
The Light Blues started the first well, as James Tavernier opened the scoring, before missing a penalty, and Derek Cornelius later had a goal disallowed.
Livingston came out firing in the second half, with Mohamad Sylla heading home past Jack Butland, yet Aarons’ late finish proved to be the difference in West Lothian.
Despite the win, supporters are still firmly rooting for Martin to be sacked.
Sacking Russell Martin now would be an act of mercy
Martin is deeply unpopular amongst Rangers fans, with many supporters believing he should have been sacked after the 9-1 aggregate demolition to Club Brugge in the Champions League playoffs.
Speaking in the Daily Record on 29 September, journalist Keith Jackson believes that there is no long-term future for Martin in Govan.
He said: “Martin is in the wrong movie and that’s not going to change because of a win in West Lothian.
“Removing him from this mayhem would actually be an act of mercy.”
Rangers’ 1-0 loss to Genk in their Europa League opener at Ibrox heaped further pressure on Martin ahead of Sunday’s clash, yet for 45 minutes, Rangers rose to the occasion.
Bojan Miovski missed a gilt-edged chance before Tavernier’s acrobatic goal, and the Bears should have found themselves with a bigger lead at half-time.
The second half was a showcase of the Rangers we’ve seen all season: slow, lethargic, and weak in their defensive third.
| Livingston | Stat | Rangers |
| 35 | Possession (percentage) | 65 |
| 9 | Shots | 15 |
| 2 | Big chances | 4 |
| 0.19 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.91 |
Whilst a win was all that mattered for Martin, a performance of this nature against a newly-promoted side will continue to be rightly criticised by fans and pundits.
Despite all the new additions having been settled in G51 for a month now, Martin’s side looks well off the boil, and a slip-up against Sturm Graz or Falkirk before the international break will cause further mutiny amongst the fans.
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Andrew Cavenagh must swallow his pride and sack Russell Martin
Rarely have fans ever called for their manager to be sacked following a last-minute winner, yet that is the current predicament at Rangers.
Cavenagh has attended three games in one week, and whilst he has seen two victories, the nature of those performances should be enough cause for concern.
Financially, Cavenagh is in trouble either way, as fans have begun to boycott matches at Ibrox, whilst sacking Martin would cost a fortune in itself.
However, the Rangers chairman must act swiftly, and with the international break coming up, a poor result in the next two matches could force Cavenagh’s hand.
Despite being backed publicly, Martin is in a precarious position, and Cavenagh will have to make a big decision if fan fury continues to grow in Govan.
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