Max Aarons makes shock Rangers admission after Europa League loss to Sturm Graz
Rangers’ 2-1 loss to Sturm Graz in the Europa League was yet another indictment of how disastrous the season has been.
Russell Martin has won just six of his 16 matches in charge of the Bears, with fans furious at the predicament Rangers find themselves in.
As Martin faces calls to be sacked at Rangers, the players will have to step up and take accountability for their disastrous performances.
Max Aarons was the Rangers hero versus Livingston on Sunday, yet after coming off the bench in Austria, he made a damning claim regarding Rangers’ poor run of form.
Rangers squad impacted by fan protests and Russell Martin sack chants
Rangers fans have made their opinions known to Martin and Andrew Cavenagh, yet their protests have come to no avail.
Speaking after the match, Aarons alluded that the discontent off the pitch has had an effect on the Rangers squad.
He said: “The mood in the stands isn’t good, and it’s affecting us. But as players, it has to start with us. We’ve got to be the ones who get our fans up for it.
“That has to start from the first minute of games. If we do that, the supporters will have something to get up for and cheer for. So that’s down to us. It’s a distraction but we’ve got a duty to put that right ourselves.
“We have to start games and give the fans a moment to lift everyone and get all of us together. This has to start from us in games. There’s no point talking about it; we have to do it.”
There is clearly a lack of elite mentality under Martin, and it has been reflected in some of the goals conceded across the season.
Aarons has endured a rough start to life in Govan, with his red card versus Club Brugge leading to a barrage of abuse from Rangers fans.
| Appearances | 11 |
| Matches started | 9 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 0 |
Aarons was deployed at an unfamiliar left-back role, which led to early-season struggles.
He has highlighted what it takes to play at Ibrox, which can be vociferous at the best of times, and volatile at the worst.
Ibrox has become increasingly hostile in the last month, with over 12,000 fans boycotting the match against Genk.
Rangers fans will play key role in Russell Martin sack at Ibrox
Ibrox has played host to some magical nights in the past, yet the catastrophic nature of life under Martin has led fans to feel disillusioned with the future of the club.
Martin can’t escape home either, with brutal chants aimed at him even in away fixtures.
Whilst Bears supporters can be demanding, the standards set by managers of the past show that failure is unacceptable.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst took Rangers to a Europa League final, Barry Ferguson reached the quarter-finals, yet both men were sacked for poor form that followed.
It is irresponsible to leave Martin in the job, and Cavenagh’s standing with the Rangers support could become irreparable.
Should fans continue to stage protests and boycott matches at Ibrox, the financial implications will force Andrew Cavenagh to swallow his pride and sack Martin.
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