Russell Martin’s brief and bruising spell as Rangers head coach has come to an end — just four months after his appointment. Following a dismal 1–1 draw away to Falkirk, the 39-year-old has been relieved of his duties, leaving the club searching for a fifth permanent boss in under three years.
It’s another managerial reset for Rangers, who sit eighth in the Premiership after seven league matches — a position utterly unacceptable for a club of this stature. While Martin guided the side into the League Cup semi-finals, one win in seven league fixtures, early Champions League heartbreak, and a shocking Europa League start sealed his fate long before Halloween.
The Ibrox support’s frustration has been palpable. Protests outside the stadium, banners questioning the club’s direction, and growing anger at limp, directionless performances forced the board’s hand. Progression in one cup wasn’t enough to offset the feeling that Rangers were sleepwalking through the season.
This was the first time in the club’s proud 153-year history that Rangers appointed a permanent head coach rather than a manager — part of the new structure implemented under the club’s American ownership group. Sporting director Kevin Thelwell and technical director Dan Purdy were handed broad control of recruitment, sports science, and football operations, leaving Martin focused purely on coaching. In theory, modernisation. In practice, confusion.
Martin’s attempts to impose a possession-heavy, back-three system looked attractive on paper but rarely worked on Scottish turf. The players often looked caught between instructions — neither committed to pressing nor comfortable playing out. With no rhythm, no bite, and no belief, the points slipped away.
It’s a brutal statistic, but Martin’s 123-day reign makes him the shortest-serving permanent manager in Rangers history — a list few would envy.
Shortest managerial reigns at Rangers
- Michael Beale — 307 days | 43 games | 72.09% win rate
- Paul Le Guen — 240 days | 31 games | 51.61% win rate
- Pedro Caixinha — 227 days | 26 games | 53.85% win rate
- Russell Martin — 123 days | 17 games | 29.41% win rate
Now, attention turns to what comes next. The board cannot afford another misstep. With fans demanding a return to high-energy, front-foot football — and European standards restored — the next appointment must deliver both identity and results.
Names already linked include Steven Gerrard, Kevin Muscat, Frank Lampard, and Kjetil Knutsen, but whoever walks through the front doors at Ibrox will inherit a fractured dressing room and a demanding fanbase that expects trophies, not transition plans.
The club’s motto, “Ready”, has rarely felt more relevant. Rangers must be ready — to rebuild, to reignite, and to remind Scotland who they are.
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What a rollercoaster ride! Poor Russell Martin, 123 days is brutal – seems his possession-based system looked attractive on paper while on Scottish turf it was more like a confusing game of keep away with the ball. The boards decision, however, is spot on – time for a manager who can promise European standards and, crucially, deliver both identity and results.
Now, the name links are flying around! Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard… oh boy! Lets hope the next boss can turn Ibrox from a place of confusion into a fortress of high-energy, front-foot football without the dressing room feeling fractured. One things for sure, the fans demanding trophies are certainly making the board ready for a star – just hope the new manager is ready for the pressure! #Rangers #Ready
What a rollercoaster ride! Poor Russell, 123 days is barely time to learn the offside trap, let alone rewrite Ranger history. The boards modernisation seems to have resulted in a dressing room more confused than a tourist in Glasgow city centre. Pressing? Playing out? Sounds like a tennis match gone wrong! The fans are screaming for high-energy, front-foot football – basically, rugby with goals, not this possession puzzle. Good luck to the next boss, whoever they pick. Theyll need more than a crystal ball to please the fans and rebuild this ship before it sinks. Its a tough job, even for the Ready Rangers. #Rangers #FootballFollies
Ah, the swift exit of Martin – 123 days is indeed a record! Shows you what happens when you try to implement modernisation without actually modernising the football, eh? Possession-heavy, back-three system on Scottish turf? Sounds like trying to play chess with a rugby ball! The dressing room must be a hotbed of confusion now. But hey, at least the board learned their lesson – you cant just appoint a manager and then get in their way… or maybe they did? Anyway, lets hope the next appointment brings some rhythm, bite, and maybe even a belief that lasts longer than a season. Ready or not, here they come! 💙
What a turbulent 123 days! Poor Russell seemed caught between the ball and the wall, literally and figuratively. The boards decision? About as swift as a possessed players counter-attack! Now theyre looking for a saviour? Might as well draft a player from the 49ers, given the new era talk. Lets hope the next boss has more bite than a paper towel and can finally tell the players where the offside line is, not just where the ball *might* go. Ready or not, the fans are demanding goals, not just a new coaching handbook! #Rangers #RangersFC