Martin criticises mentality, egos & effort in draw

2 hours ago 36

Media caption,

Rangers boss Martin reflects on Motherwell draw

Nick McPheat

BBC Sport Scotland

Watch Motherwell v Rangers highlights

02/08/25

Russell Martin has managed just 270 minutes of football as Rangers head coach, and already he has left his players without a name.

After the Ibrox side's 1-1 draw at Motherwell in their opening Scottish Premiership fixture, Martin said his players were "lucky to get a point".

An "extremely disappointed and hurt" Ibrox head coach said the impressive Fir Park side were "braver" and "more aggressive" than his team.

He lambasted "two men on the pitch who want to do what they want to do" and said some of his players "have to drop their ego".

"The default is to revert to type," he added. "It's not really tactical, it's a mentality problem."

It is the third straight season in which Rangers have failed to win their opening league match. But the first time Martin has publicly unloaded on his players.

What did Martin actually say?

On Wednesday in Athens, Martin acknowledged that performances could have been better across Rangers' two-legged Champions League qualifying win over Panathinaikos, but he said he was "so proud" of his players.

Three days later, the mood has shifted remarkably.

Across two post-match interviews with BBC Scotland and Sky Sports, Martin chose not to hold back after his third game in charge of Rangers.

Here are the key lines from his furious reaction:

"I think we were lucky to get a point. We were nowhere near where we need to be. And I'm extremely disappointed and hurt by that. They were braver than us. They were more aggressive than us."
"The thing I can't accept is, whatever the tactics are, we got outfought and they were braver than us to play in certain moments.
"We pick and choose when we want to play properly and when we want to run hard. When the game's not going well, we have too many players that want to do their own thing and slip into self-preservation.
"This is not me blaming the players at all; I think it's a problem the club has had over the last few years. When it's going well, it's fine, and when it's not, there's a problem. It's not together enough on the pitch.
"I've said to the players, there is a default here at this football club to revert to type. When it's going really well, everyone's all in. When it's not going well, you protect yourself a little bit. You can't play for this club and just enjoy the really good moments. You have to be all in all the time."
"We had two men on the pitch today that want to do what they want to do. When you want to just jog around and do what you want to do, there's a big problem. So some of them have to drop their ego."
"There'll be people left behind if they don't want to come because they need to understand what playing for this football club will take and what it means."
"The lethargy and all that stuff is not acceptable. So I'm surprised by that. But I'm more angry than surprised."
"I will look at us tactically and accept my responsibility in it. But today, it's a mentality problem. And we got more than what we deserved, actually."

What did the pundits say?

Before Motherwell found their late equaliser, former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson has expressed deep concern about his old side's approach.

"At the moment there's nothing coming from Rangers; it's quite worrying," he said on BBC Sportsound. "I've not got a clue what their tactic is. I don't see it."

After Motherwell netted the leveller their play more than merited, Ferguson added: "I've got a real worry after watching that second half. They players still have a lot to prove to that Rangers support."

Speaking on Sky Sports, irate former Rangers striker Kris Boyd said: "It's the same things that keep happening time after time after time.

"It's early in the season. We know there are going to be players arriving. We know there are going to be players going out. But the alarming thing for is he's calling them out so early on."

Despite agreeing with Martin, former Celtic forward Chris Sutton was also taken aback by the Rangers boss' comments, saying the remarks "were extreme".

"For him to for him to do that first game of the season, he sees him every day in training, he must think they're rank rotten," he said on Sky Sports.

"Because why wouldn't there be a bit more balance there? When have you ever seen a manager do that first game of the season? That was extreme as extreme."