Russell Martin is ‘hanging Rangers player out to dry’ with ridiculous tactic that costs goals
Rangers fell to yet another defeat as they were beaten by Sturm Graz in the Europa League.
Russell Martin is continuing to fail at Rangers with fans completely against his management, but the owners are somehow sticking by him.
The Rangers players have hardly been blameless, but a lot are struggling under his management, with several failing to adapt to his tactics despite impressing elsewhere.
Rangers have been woeful defensively under Martin despite recruiting several players in the back line, and one issue has now emerged that the manager is culpable for.
John Souttar being hung out to dry by Russell Martin
John Souttar was one of Rangers’ better defenders last season, but he is having a truly abysmal individual campaign.
The centre-back has been at fault for several goals one way or the other, despite Souttar thriving with the Scotland national team.
- Souttar was to blame for Mohamad Sylla’s goal for Livingston last week.
- Both Souttar and Derek Cornelius were at fault for Sturm Graz’s first goal.
- Souttar impressed at times for Rangers before Martin arrived.
The first Sturm Graz goal should have been saved by Jack Butland, but there was a comedy of errors leading up to the shot, with Souttar one of the players at fault.
James Tavernier took a throw-in which was immediately intercepted, and the ball broke forward and breached the Rangers box within a couple of passes.
Souttar has been blamed for dropping incredibly deep during the throw-in, which played the Sturm Graz attackers onside and meant he was nowhere near his defensive partner.
However, it is now clear that this was a tactic by Martin, as this actually happened several times within the game, rather than an independent decision from Souttar to drop so far back.
Martin’s tactics are harming the Rangers defence
Cornelius and Souttar at their best under a better manager could actually become a formidable partnership, but it will never succeed under Martin.
Martin’s defences have always been leaky even before joining Rangers, and his system requires the centre-back to be able to play the ball way beyond Souttar’s ability.
The manager’s stubbornness over his tactics will mean that Rangers remain defensively porous regardless of who plays in the back line.
It is Martin who decided that his right centre-back should drop towards the goal line rather than pushing up to engage with the Sturm Graz forwards, and whether or not Souttar is good enough for Rangers, he will not succeed at Ibrox unless a different manager joins.
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