Russell Martin already warned of one excuse he can’t make if Rangers unthinkable happens
Rangers take on Sturm Graz in their second Europa League match of the season.
The European campaign has not started well for Russell Martin, with Rangers’ 1-0 loss to Genk escalating the pressure on the former Southampton manager.
Despite the 2-1 win over Livingston in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, Martin continues to face a barrage of abuse from fans who are furious with the Bears’ start to the season.
Their visit to the reigning Austrian champions will be a tough test, yet Martin will be afforded no excuses should Rangers fail to pick up all three points.
Russell Martin cannot blame the pitch like he did vs Livingston
Martin blamed the quality of the Livingston pitch on Sunday, claiming it was a big factor in Rangers’ poor second-half performance.
Sturm Graz also play on an artificial pitch, and fans will be hoping they don’t have to hear the same excuse after Thursday’s match.
Speaking on The Rangers Review podcast on 2 October, journalist Jonny McFarlane has warned Martin that he must take accountability should Rangers lose to Sturm Graz.
Another loss is surely unthinkable if Martin is to retain the support of the board.
He said: “What I don’t want to hear from Martin post-match is, ‘the pitch affected us’.
“Just like he was talking about it after the Livingston match, it’s a plastic pitch, it’s going to get sticky.
“We did warn you about that, and anyone who understands anything about Scottish football would warn you about that.”
The excuse of blaming conditions for a team’s inability to perform has never gone down well with supporters, regardless of what club it is.
Martin’s position at Rangers is in deep peril, and failure to win versus Sturm Graz will create an even bigger surge of mutiny around Ibrox.
Rangers’ European away matches this season:
- Panathinaikos: 1-1 D
- Viktoria Plzen: 2-1 L
- Club Brugge: 6-0 L
The Bears are yet to win on foreign soil this season and the players will need to step up if Martin is to remain as the Rangers manager.
With Martin expected to rotate his squad from the side that played against Livingston, several players will be looking to make a claim to become consistent starters with a good performance in Austria.
Rangers’ squad players could save Russell Martin’s job vs Sturm Graz
Mohamed Diomande’s suspension means Connor Barron will come into the side, whilst Youssef Chermiti is likely to replace Bojan Miovski up front.
Most eyes will be on Oliver Antman, who has impressed against Viktoria Plzen and Livingston, yet struggled to get a consistent run of games in the starting lineup.
Mikey Moore has finally been dropped after several poor performances, and Antman needs to seize this opportunity with conviction.
Max Aarons scored the winner versus Livingston and is set to play at left-back due to Jayden Meghoma’s injury.
Aarons was sent off in the 6-0 second leg defeat to Brugge, and struggled in a role that is unfamiliar to him.
The 25-year-old must adapt to the role quickly against Graz, as the must-win clash approaches for Rangers.
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