Rangers fans should be EXCITED as the Russell Martin era is set to begin
Rangers’ first competitive game under Russell Martin is fast approaching as they are set to face Panathinaikos in the Champions League second round qualifier on July 22 at Ibrox. There has been a lot made regarding the appointment of Martin as the new boss, with many claiming it was ‘underwhelming’ and a ‘huge risk’.
At first, I was deflated by the appointment as I had my heart set on Steven Gerrard to make an emotional and iconic return but that never transpired due to the timing not being right. After watching in-depth interviews with Martin, one in particularly stood out was his podcast with football legend Gary Lineker, where he spoke about his troubles growing up and how the end goal for him was to always become a manager.
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On June 5, Martin was unveiled as the new boss of the Light Blues, and he came across brilliantly in his first press conference. He was articulate, honest, likeable and said all the right things. The 39-year-old was fully aware that he wasn’t a popular choice and addressed that head on:
“To the fans, I have to win. I don’t think I’ve been the number one choice at any club I’ve been at. By the time we’ve left every team I’ve been at, we’ve formed a real connection with the supporters. I hope this will be the same. My whole playing career was based on hard work and resilience. It was not done on talent.
“I have a lot to prove. My whole career has been based on proving people wrong. I got to the Premier League as a player, played international football. It’s the same as a manager.”
One of the concerns I, and many others have had regarding the former Swansea boss was his stubbornness to change his approach if it’s not working. It’s been well documented that his time as Southampton boss ended badly with him getting sacked and leaving the club bottom of the league with one win in 15 games.
The former Scotland international would not change his system under any circumstances and it ultimately cost him his job in the end. Three months after his sacking, the Brighton-born coach appeared on Monday Night Football and reflected on what he would have done differently.
The former MK Dons manager told Jamie Carragher he would have focused on his team being ‘more horrible out of possession’ and more on the ‘dark arts’.
The appointment of Martin is an exciting and interesting one, as for the first time in a long time, the Govan club have someone in charge that has a clear philosophy of playing possession-based football, which can be exciting on the eye with the right players in the team.
The Teddy Bears haven’t been messing about this window and have made EIGHT summer signings so far. Bringing in Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez, Thelo Assgaard, Nasser Djiga, Djeidi Gassama, Lyall Cameron and Oscar Cortes. It’s promising that the club are looking to get their business done early, with a few more signings expected too.
Rangers have a HUGE season ahead, and Martin knows himself he’ll need to hit the ground running. I wasn’t a fan of the appointment at first, but now I’m fully on board the Russell Martin train. The Rangers support need to back him and get right behind the team.
Go prove everyone wrong, Russell.
By: Scott Bradley / @ScottBradleyX
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Isaac Parkin – PA Images