10 reasons why Rangers must sack Russell Martin now as worrying reveal emerges
Russell Martin has been a dire appointment for Rangers so far, and many want him sacked.
Rangers fans have heavily abused Martin at every game in recent weeks, with frustrations boiling over after a woeful start to the season.
The Gers suffered one of their worst ever starts after failing to win their first five Scottish Premiership matches, and performances have been even worse than results as they rank low across the league in a wide range of areas.
Rangers are failing across 10 different metrics in defence and attack, and it is now abundantly clear that Martin must go before it gets worse.
Rangers eighth in Scottish Premiership
Despite recording the highest transfer expenditure in the entire division, Rangers are currently eighth in the Scottish Premiership, with no wins at Ibrox.
Being this low after six games is unheard of for Rangers, and regardless of anything else, is a sackable offence in itself.
Rangers have won one of their six games, with four draws and a defeat, and only four sides have recorded worse records so far.
Rangers 10th for goals scored
Rangers invested heavily on strikers Bojan Miovski and Youssef Chermiti, but their goalscoring woes have never been worse.
Remarkably, Rangers are 10th in the league for goals, with just five goals in six games, and this is clearly a major issue stemming from the manager.
- Cyriel Dessers left in the summer after finishing as top goalscorer last season.
- Three of Rangers’ five goals have been scored by right-back James Tavernier.
- Findlay Curtis is the only attacking player to score in the league.
Martin cannot get any of his attackers firing, and there is a clear systemic issue as his style of play is holding them back.
- Read more: Ally McCoist, Barry Ferguson, Brian Laudrup – Top 10 Rangers legends every fan should know
Rangers third for goals conceded
Rangers’ attacking woes have not come as a result of any defensive solidity, as they have still conceded six times in six games.
They rank third in the league for goals conceded, but this could have been a lot more if not for some heroic performances from Jack Butland.
This has been exposed in Europe, with Rangers breaking their own UEFA records with regards to xG conceded.
Rangers fourth for shots per game
Rangers have struggled for goals and it is easy to see why, with a combination of poor finishing and poor chance creation preventing them from netting more.
Martin’s pedestrian style of play has not exactly led to attacking domination, and Rangers have been unable to convert their possession into chances, with just 13.5 shots per game, ranked fourth in the league.
Rangers third for shots allowed per game
Martin’s side have been weak defensively compared to the other top teams, and have been poor at blocking other team from shooting.
With 10.5 shots allowed per game, Rangers rank third in the division in this metric, and this is not good enough for a side which has invested in several new defenders in the summer.
Rangers third for touches in opposition box per game
Rangers clearly occupy the defensive and middle thirds too much under Martin, and do not enter the box enough.
Martin’s side average 28.8 touches in the opposition box per game, and more touches would eventually lead to more shots.
Rangers second in Scottish Premiership possession stats
Martin’s style is based on keeping possession at all costs, but Rangers cannot even top this metric.
Rangers average 63.7 per cent possession, which ranks them second behind Celtic, but despite all this possession, they do very little with it.
Martin has been told to go more direct in his approach, but he could still stubbornly refuse despite his side’s failings.
Rangers bottom for long balls
Martin’s influence on the team is clear to see, as Rangers rank rock bottom for long balls, recording just 12 per game in the league.
Too often, John Souttar and Derek Cornelius choose the shorter option of passing to each other at the back rather than going long.
The lack of a physical striker who can hold the ball up also prevents Rangers from going long, and there remains scepticism over whether Chermiti can become this player.
Rangers masters of their own downfall
Rangers tend to keep the ball in their own half, and this has led to serious defensive problems, as they often self-sabotage in possession.
They now rank 10th in the league for losing possession in their own third, having done it 18 times across their six matches.
These errors are unavoidable, and really point towards defenders such as Souttar and James Tavernier being unable to fulfil the tasks asked of them.
Rangers cannot keep clean sheets
Rangers’ defensive issues have seen them keep just one clean sheet all season, which came in a woeful 0-0 draw with Celtic in an Old Firm which raised questions about both teams.
Martin’s style invites a lot of pressure, as seen by the giveaways in their own third, and this means that they end up conceding in almost every game they play.
The Gers are rock bottom of the league when it comes to clean sheets, and this sums up exactly how bad the system is for the personnell in the Rangers squad.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Rangers news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @ibroxnews247