Russell Martin sacked: How did it all go so wrong?
Russell Martin was sacked as Rangers boss after 123 days in charge, making him the shortest serving permanent manager in the club’s 153 year history. It was a disastrous tenure for the Englishman as he leaves the Ibrox club sitting 8th in the league table. The 39-year-old only managed to win five of his 17 games in charge with a win percentage of 29.41% – which makes him statistically the worst Light Blues boss of all time. The 1-1 draw to Falkirk was the final nail in the coffin for the former Southampton boss and things turned toxic after the game as Martin had to get a police escort from the stadium. Martin was appointed as Head Coach back in May and the common word that got used to describe his appointment was ‘underwhelming’. The former Scotland international had a brief loan spell at the Gers in 2018, which was also a complete disaster and he wasn’t coming back to the club with any credit in the bank. Martin was backed to the hilt by the Rangers board as he signed 12 players and spent an outlay of £34 million in the transfer market. After being fully supported by the Ibrox board, how did things go so catastrophically wrong? Style of play, player issues, and Brugge embarrassment The style of play was one of the main concerns the Rangers supporters had in regards to the appointment of Martin. The former MK Dons manager wants his teams to play in a possession-based style and out from the back with a high line and looking to press the opposition. Martin is set in his ways and believes in his philosophy and that was evident whilst he managed Southampton in the Premiership where he refused to change his system, which ultimately cost him his job. The football under Martin wasn’t good to watch as the Govan club struggled to score goals and defensively were all over the place. Martin’s men scored a total of 20 goals and only managed to keep a staggering FOUR clean sheets. Martin’s stubbornness and his inability to change and adapt to Scottish football is what led to his downfall. One of the biggest issues that Martin had to deal with was the breakdown in relationship with Nico Raskin, which saw the fans side with their star midfielder over the manager. Due to poor results and performances, Martin had no choice but to iron out the situation with the Belgian international and it was only fitting after being brought back in for his first game he scored in the 2-0 victory over Hibernian in the Premier Sports Cup. The moment where the supporters turned on Martin was the devastating 9-1 aggregate defeat in the Champions League to Club Brugge. If it wasn’t for Jack Butland, that result would have been double figures and in that moment – there was no way back for Martin. As much as Martin is to blame for the current mess Rangers are in, Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart need to come under the same scrutiny and criticism as they were the ones who put him in the dugout in the first place. Sporting Director Thelwell, stuck his neck on the line and said Martin is ‘one of the best coaches’ he’s worked with, just for the Head Coach to be removed after 123 days. The Russell Martin experiment will go down as one of the worst decisions in Rangers’ history, but it’s crucial the higher ups at the club get Martin’s successor right or else they run the risk of enduring another trophyless and miserable season.
Newcastle Cruise Past Nottingham Forest As Pressure Grows On Ange Postecoglou
Newcastle 2 -0 Nottingham Forest Guimaraes (58) Woltemade (83) Bruno Guimaraes steals the show as Newcastle heap the pressure on Ange Postecoglou with a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest Eddie Howe placed his trust in an unchanged 11 from Wednesday nights 4-0 hammering of Union St.Gilloise in the Champions League. Whilst Ange Postecoglou still searching for his first win in charge of Nottingham Forest made 4 changes from defeat to FC Midtjylland away in the Europa League. Igor Jesus, Murillo, Ibrahim Sangare and Callum Hudson-Odoi dropping out of the side making way for Chris Wood,Ryan Yates, Jair Cunha and Nicolo Savona. The opening ten minutes passed without incident as both teams looked to settle into the game. Nottingham Forest looked happy to sit back and wait for the counter in a style that isn’t commonly associated with the under fire Postecoglou, Whilst Newcastle looked for quick passages of play in the final third to no avail. Joelinton was the first to test Sels in the Forest goal just after the 10 minute mark as he sent a first time effort goalwards after an excellent delivery was fired into the box by Kieran Trippier. Matz Sels was called into action five minutes later as Nottingham Forest failed to deal with a corner allowing Sven Botman to head the ball across the box which fell to Joelinton who saw his effort saved at close range by the Forest showstopper. Nottingham Forest had their first chance of the game just before the 20th minute, Morgan Gibbs-White sent a tame free-kick straight at Nick Pope in the Newcastle goal. Chris Wood passed up a glorious opportunity minutes later as Gibbs-White bombed down the right hand side firing a low driven cross into the box missed by the Newcastle backline however, the Forest talisman couldn’t sort out his feet in time to get a shot off. The game descended into a stop start affair with a number of fouls committed by both sides culminating in Ryan Yates and Neco Williams finding themselves into the book. Nottingham Forest won their first corner of the game in the 40th minute who looked to be growing in confidence as the clock ticked on after Sandro Tonali took no chances with a Neco Williams delivery. The proceeding corner was clawed away by Pope and the danger cleared by the Newcastle rearguard. A minute before the break Newcastle after a sustained period of pressure had two opportunities to take the lead with Joelinton seeing his effort deflected after a layoff from Woltemade the ball bouncing out to Tonali who fired his effort well wide of the post. Into added on time of the first half Neco Williams already in on a booking could consider himself lucky to remain on the park as his outstretched arm made contact with a Trippier cross and out for a corner which led to nothing as the first half came to a close. 3 minutes after the break Gordon had the first half chance off the half after good play down the right hand side by Trippier the ball was delivered into the box finding it’s way to Gordon who saw his effort deflected as the Forest defence had done for large spells of the game already. 2 minutes later Morato’s blushes were spared after a ball into the box by Anthony Gordon was heavily touched by the Forest defender which fell right to Woltemade who sent an effort goalwards with Morato recovering well to deflect the effort away. Newcastle had a VAR check for a potential penalty as Morato was all over Dan Burn as a corner was delivered by Tonali with the officials deciding there was minimal contact and play resumed. Bruno Guimaraes fired the Magpies into the lead in the 58th minute winning the ball from Gibbs-White in the middle exchanging a quick one-two with Dan Burn before firing a sensational strike from outside the box into the top corner which left Matz Sels with no chance in the Forest goal. VAR checked the goal for a potential foul on Gibbs-White who cleared the goal. Morato finally found himself into the book after a number of fouls in the second half as he brought down Elanga who looked got be racing away towards goal. Tonali sent the free-kick into the box with the ball being headed away. Sandro Tonali was the next to test Sels as his effort was expertly tipped over by the showstopper. The resulting corner delivered by Tonali fell to Woltemade who crashed his close range effort of the bar a follow up effort was deflected away. Hudson-Odoi with the first chance of note for Forest in the second half skinning Trippier before firing an effort straight at Nick Pope. 10 minutes from time Sels yet again with a save to keep his side in it as he kept out a close range effort from Thiaw before seconds later denying Harvey Barnes who was bearing down on goal. Former Magpie Elliot Anderson brought down Bruno Guimaraes in the box as Newcastle were awarded a penalty with 7 minutes remaining. Nick Woltemade in front of the Gallowgate fired the ball right into the top corner leaving Matz Sels rooted as he scored for the 3rd consecutive game. With 6 minutes added on at the end the game petered out as Newcastle saw out their professional performance with Forest failing to trouble them at all. Newcastle: Pope 6 Trippier 7 Thiaw 6 Botman 6 Burn 6 Guimaraes 8 Tonali 7 Joelinton 7 Elanga 6 Woltemade 7 Gordon 6 Substitutes: Barnes 5 Murphy 5 Miley 2 Osula 2 Nottingham Forest: Sels 7 Milenkovic 6 Cunha 6 Morato 5 Savona 5 Anderson 5 Yates 5 Williams 5 Ndoye 5 Wood 4 Gibbs-White 6 Substitutes: Hudson-Odoi 5 Hutchinson 5 Jesus 5 Bakwa 4
Dundee United and Livingston Draw in Game of Two Halves
Dundee United 1-1 Livingston Pittman (34′) Keresztes ’48’) Dundee United were held to a 1-1 draw at Tannadice to visiting side Livingston, thanks to goals either side of half time from Livi stalwart Scott Pittman, and Hungarian defender Krisztian Keresztes. The result now sees David Martindale’s side without a win since early August, whilst Jim Goodwin’s United continue their inconsistent beginning to the season despite sitting in 4th, albeit with a game in hand of three potential leap-frogs beneath them. The visitors dominated proceedings early, with their first sight of goal coming through a Lewis Smith strike from range. Yevhenii Kucharenko parried it as far as the lively Stevie May, who’s slidden effort appeared to be blocked from going goal bound by Bert Esselink but a goal kick was awarded instead. United responded with a big chance of their own just minutes later. Ivan Doleck threaded a ball through to Nikolaj Moller, but the Swede’s effort ended up closer to the Shed End roof rather than the goal. May continued causing problems for the Dundee United defence and the veteran found himself with acres of space 34 minutes in. The forward selflessly squared the ball for teammate Scott Pittman to tap in to an empty net, and give their team a deserved breakthrough. The home side should have been going up the tunnel level at half time, as Vicko Sevelj’s free header at the back post from a corner went wide, with many of the home supporters believing he had found the net. Instead, they walked up the tunnel to a chorus of boos. The equaliser would come just three minutes after the restart. A Will Ferry free kick found its way to the chest of Krisztian Keresztes, and the centre back made no mistake in firing it across into the right hand side of the net. The hosts maintained the pressure in this game of two halves, with their biggest chance of going ahead coming 20 minutes from time. Another Ferry set play bounced temptingly to Luca Stephenson who unleashed a rocket that was beaten away by Jerome Prior. The following stramash led to Sevelj bundling it goal bound, but Mo Sylla cleared it off the line.
Russell Martin Remains Under Fire as Rangers Held by Falkirk
Falkirk 1-1 Rangers Cartwright (73) – Miovski (41) Second-bottom Falkirk hosted Russell Martin’s struggling Rangers side at the Falkirk Stadium this afternoon, with both teams looking to rebound from disappointing defeats in their previous matches. The Bairns returned to home action after a 3-0 defeat away to Hearts at Tynecastle, following a credible 2-2 draw with Hibs the week before, a match in which they came back from two goals down to earn a point. Rangers, meanwhile, finally secured their first league win of the season – and their first under Martin, with a 94th-minute victory over Livingston last weekend. However, any momentum gained was quickly squandered with a 2-1 defeat to Austrian side Sturm Graz in the UEFA Europa League midweek, both goals coming because of typically catastrophic defending. Wearing their white away kit, Rangers got the match underway at Grangemouth and had the ball in the net inside three minutes. Good work from Mikey Moore created space for a shot that Scott Bain managed to parry, but Djeidi Gassama’s follow-up was ruled out for offside after a VAR check by Steven MacLean. Despite that early warning, it was the hosts who took control. Falkirk’s willingness to spread play wide from defence, coupled with relentless pressing and an aerial bombardment of the Rangers box, put the visitors under intense pressure from the outset, much to the delight of the ferocious home crowd. Despite sustained Falkirk pressure, it was Rangers who offered their head coach some relief with a goal just before half-time. Derek Cornelius, operating at left-back, whipped a ball right across goal for Bojan Miovski to tap home with ease. The away support briefly celebrated before resuming chants against Martin, a reminder that, despite any fleeting signs of progress, they remain firmly opposed to his continued tenure. Into the second half and Rangers did not push on, Falkirk came close on the hour mark, MacIver putting his header wide at the back post despite Butland coming and completely missing the cross. But Rangers slackness would be punished, substitute Henry Cartwright was allowed so much room to drive through the middle of the park before driving his strike past the rooted Butland sending two and a half sides of the Falkirk stadium into delirium. That goal meaning Rangers have set a new club record- 23 away games without a clean sheet. The Bairns would then chase a victory, catching Rangers on the break after a slack Mohammed Diomande pass, Alfredo Agyeman broke forward but his strike went just past the post and Brian Graham would come an inch away from squeezing hot shot from close range under Butland, with the former England goalkeeper just catching his effort by landing on top of the ball. In the end it was to end all square, with chants from the away end of ‘Russell Martin, get out of our club’ it is difficult to see how the former Scotland defender carries on from here as we head into an international break and an opportunity for the Ibrox board to look for potential replacements. For the hosts it is a valuable point that lifts them above Dundee and out of the relegation playoff spot. Falkirk Bain 6; Adams 6, Henderson 6, Neilson 6, McCann 7, Spencer 6, Tait 6 (Cartwright 8), Wilson 6 (Agyeman 6), Williams 7 (Arfield 5), Miller 6 (Samuel-Ogunsuyi 5), MacIver 5 (Graham 5) Subs not used: Hogarth, Oliver, Allan, Lissah Rangers Butland 6; Tavernier 6, Souttar 6, Djiga 7, Cornelius 8; Barron 6 (Bajrami 5), Rothwell 6 (Diomande 5), Raskin 6 (Aasgaard 5); Moore 6 (Antman 6), Gassama 7, Miovski 7 (Chermiti 6) Subs not used: Kelly; Aarons, Cameron, Meghoma Att: 7652
