Rangers boss Russell Martin has laid down the law after just one Scottish Premier League game with the Scottish giants, following an explosive post-match interview in the wake of his side’s 1-1 draw with Motherwell. The visitors took the lead early on through James Tavernier but were pegged back in the 87th minute thanks to Emmanuel Longelo.
It was not the perfect start that Martin would have been hoping for, with the dropped points immediately handing arch-rivals Celtic the initiative in what is expected to be a two-horse race at the top of the table. And the former Southampton man made sure his feelings were heard as he pulled no punches post-match.
Martin Delivers Brutal Post-Match Verdict
Speaking with Sky Sports after the game, Martin claimed that his side were lucky to get a point out of the game while also criticising some of the players for having too big of an ego and jogging around the pitch:
“They were braver than us, more aggressive than us. I said to the players, I’ve been really honest with them and I’ll be really honest with you guys because it’s what the supporters deserve, there’s a default here at this football club and it’s not one person’s fault at all.
“The default is to revert to type which is when it’s going really well everyone is all in, it’s really good and when it’s not going well you protect yourself a little bit and it’s self preservation stuff. You can’t play for this club and enjoy the really good times when it’s going well and when it’s tough say ‘Oh, I’m not really sure.’ When you want to just jog around and do what you want to do, there’s a big problem.
“Some of them have to drop their ego. I will look at us tactically and accept my responsibility in it. But today is not really tactical – it’s a mentality problem and we got more than what we deserved, actually.”
Martin was known to not hold back even in his time at Southampton, with his brutal honesty combined with lack of results sometimes drawing the ire of fans. And given his track record, many have claimed that he may already be landing himself in trouble with his scathing comments so early on into the season.
“The manager’s ego seems like a bigger problem from the outside looking in,” commented one fan, while another stated: “Russell Martin throwing his players under the bus after the first game of the season. It’s what the fans want to hear to be fair, but that rarely goes well.”
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton also chimed in, saying: “This is remarkable…I’ve never seen an interview like it after one game… but most of it is true…”
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