Russell Martin’s tough start to life as Rangers head coach plumbed new depths after his side were embarrassingly dispatched 6-0 by Club Brugge in the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie.
Martin’s side faced an uphill battle to turn the tie around having lost 3-1 in the first leg at Ibrox, but things only got worse inside the opening 10 minutes as Nicolo Tresoldi opened the floodgates before Max Aarons was shown a straight red card.
From there, it was one-way traffic at the highest order. Hans Vanaken, Aleksandar Stankovic and a double from Joaquin Seys made it 5-0 as the two teams entered the break before Christos Tzolis added the sixth five minutes into the second half.
Martin’s men registered just one shot on target across the ninety minutes, despite the manager’s call to play an attacking line-up and calls for his players to show ‘real courage’ before the start of proceedings.
If courage was what he wanted, cowardice was instead what was delivered as Rangers managed to one-up Celtic’s embarrassing elimination the night prior, just days before the two meet in the first Old Firm clash of the season.
Martin: I’ve got full support of the board
Russell Martin insists that he retains the backing of the Rangers board
Russell Martin talking to TNT Sports:
“I have nothing to say but really apologise to the fans that travelled and the fans back home. I have to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It shouldn’t happen, it’s such basics. Now we have to show a response on Sunday.
“There’s not enough harmony or care for each other quite yet. But I knew that coming in, we have to build that, heal and get stronger through it.
“There’s not enough players who want to fight for each other and the club yet. The window shuts on Monday. The harmony has been disrupted. We have to kick on for Sunday.
“I can’t say anything. I apologise for the performance. They’ve been great, the only thing we can do is really build a top performance on Sunday.
“Patrick [Stewart] and Kevin [Thelwell], I’ve had a chat with them already, they’re amazingly supportive. They knew this would take time, they understand the club’s position. Now we focus on Sunday.
“The only thing we do tonight is accept the pain and the humiliation we should feel and then use it.”
Boyd: Difficult to see how Martin survives
Kris Boyd hilariously replaces himself in the Sky Sports studio with a cardboard cut-out during Rangers’ disastrous game against Club Brugge
Sky Sports’ Kris Boyd:
“Rangers have only got Club Brugge to thank for it being six. They took their foot off the gas and toyed with Rangers.
“There will be an investigation into this. So bad, so, so bad. It looks like a group that has absolutely chucked it.
“Inside just weeks of a new manager coming in, it’s worrying.
“I know a few people said – myself included – that Russell Martin wouldn’t lose his job off the back of a Champions League defeat. Because there’s no disgrace in losing to Club Brugge.
“But the way Rangers have lost – there will be a lot of Rangers fans wanting Russell Martin removed.
“I don’t disagree [that he needs more time]. That’s football – but it’s totally different in Glasgow. If you’re losing 9-1 to a team in the Champions League, it’s bad enough.
“You can say you’re going to be given time – with new owners coming in that’s what they will look to do. But you have to see signs of improvement and that’s not been the case.”
Russell Martin’s Rangers were humiliated in Belgium
“The reality is: you have two huge football clubs domestically, but when they go to Europe, they are shown up for what they are. Both are obsessed with winning domestically.
“Celtic had more success than Rangers in recent times. but Celtic have their own issues – their fans are not happy with the board not spending money.
“But domestically they will be fine. You wouldn’t rule out Celtic winning another treble with the way this Rangers teams are.
“Rangers will be hoping another team – a Hibernian, Hearts or Aberdeen – putting up a fight to stop Celtic winning a cup – because Rangers ain’t going to do anything the way things are now.
“It is getting worse. That is really impossible to happen inside six or seven weeks into a new season. But Rangers have found a way.
“Club Brugge have been in the group stages or league phase seven out of the last eight season, but they’re not an elite-level Champions League team. They’re not even the Champions of Belgium. But they’ve destroyed them over two legs.
“It is an absolute disgrace of a performance from Rangers from start to finish.”
Martin making all the wrong history
Russell Martin insists that he retains the backing of the Rangers board
Sky Sports’ Callum Bishop:
If Russell Martin had hopes of reviving a sleeping giant when he took the job at Ibrox, it is he who has been dealt a very rude awakening.
Calls for courage and freedom fell on deaf ears. Instead, those in white were trapped in what was a Jan Breydel Stadium looking for any way to escape rather than a route back into the game.
Going a goal and man down inside the opening 10 minutes made it incredibly unlikely that a comeback was on the cards. Even still, the lack of professional pride on the display will no doubt upset Martin more than anything, who has openly questioned the commitment of some of his players.
That assessment may be the only thing he has gotten right during his tenure. The rest of it has been the wrong sort of history making. The 9-1 aggregate defeat is the third-worst in Champions League history. But more damning is that Martin has now extended his record to just three wins from 10 games, worse than any other permanent manager in the club’s history.
Martin may claim that he has support from the board. But calls for his sacking from the supporters have started already and the voices of the fans may be more powerful from those in the boardroom if things don’t change immediately, starting with a must-win Old Firm clash.
What’s next for Rangers?
Sunday 31st August 11:00am
Kick off 12:00pm
Up next for Russell Martin and Rangers is the first Old Firm derby of the season as they host Celtic at Ibrox this Sunday.
They go into the game trailing their rivals by six points in the Scottish Premiership. You can watch the game live on Sky Sports on Sky Sports Football, with kick-off 12pm.
This news was originally published on this post .
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