Russell Martin eviscerated as Rangers manager branded 'shallow' smooth talker who is out his depth - the English view

The Ibrox boss is under huge pressure and two pundits south of the border didn't hold back in their assessment

Russell Martin has been described as a “shallow” manager stuck in his ways who managed to sweet talk his way into a Rangers job that is too big from him.

That is the damning verdict from south of the border as they cast their eyes towards toxic Ibrox and the early implosion of the 39-year-old.

Martin has failed to win in five Scottish Premiership games and they are languishing in 10th place in the top flight table.

The Light Blues gaffer led Southampton on a club record 25-game unbeaten run before sealing a promotion play-off final win over Leeds United, who share the same 49ers ownership as his current employers.

However, he also suffered some heavy beatings during that campaign - including a 5-0 thumping by Sunderland and 4-1 defeat to Leicester City - and he has been labelled a stubborn Pep Guardiola clone.

Martin’s position was discussed in detail on talkSPORT with host Sam Ellard inviting commentators Max Scott and Jack Cunningham for their view on the situation at Rangers

Scott kicked off, saying: “He was under pressure as he came through the door with lots of Rangers fans unhappy with the appointment. I always think managers should be given time to implement their ideas but I just get the feeling there’s something shallow about Russell Martin’s approach to football in that it’s fashionable football.

“He’s a fashionable manager. He’s got all of the right ideas but there’s very little he’s got to show for it other than a good season in the Championship with a very good Southampton side. There has to come a point in manager’s career where he makes a decision that he’s not going to do what he likes to do but what he HAS to do.

“Clearly, what he’s trying to implement at Rangers isn’t working. You’ve go to show some adaptability and willingness to change. And I get the feeling Russell Martin is maybe cut from this cloth of managers that are essentially average imitators of Pep Guardiola - not even average because they’re imposters because nobody can do it like Pep Guardiola.

“Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest managers ever to walk this planet and his influence on the Premier League is so great on the managers coming through that they think they can achieve the same things.

"And I’m afraid to say Russell Martin at Southampton is case in point that it is self sabotage to try and play in that way.

“What’s happened is the board of Rangers have been convinced by an incredibly articulate, intelligent and well spoken man in Russell Martin. I have nothing against him personally and enjoy listening to him but there’s no proof in the pudding and there comes a time when a manager needs more than one weapon in his arsenal.

“Rangers do not have the financial stability Man City have. It’s a club trying to rebuild and we’re now seeing them overtaken by Hearts as the club who could challenge Celtic. It’s a real sorry situation for Rangers fans to be in but the criticism coming Russell Martin’s way is totally justified and expected.

“There’s a pattern of evidence that is growing and growing against Russell Martin. At the beginning of the season I thought ‘Give him a chance to settle in’ but there’s growing evidence he just isn’t up to the job. He’s shown he can be a good Championship manager so he might end up back there but he’s just not equipped for the stakes at Rangers.

“If he’s showing that refusal to change it’s down to his ego and stubbornness a lot of managers are accused of and that can be the downfall of a manger.”

Fellow panelist Jack Cunningham said: “If I think back to that season when Southampton got promoted with the 1-0 win over Leeds United in the play-off final, they got battered a few times that season - like absolutely smashed.

“I know you can have a bad result and the odd game where you are off but to be consistently beaten by a large number of goals but just happen to go on a winning run that got them into the play-offs doesn’t really come across as how great it was that season.

“And they come up and he signs Aaron Ramsdale but he still had Jan Bednarek playing centre back who’s a standard EPL defender, good at defending but I’m not sure about playing out the back. And he tried to implement this system with these players.

“They played Newcastle in the first game of the season and they dominated the ball but had three shots or something like that. And in all those games it was style over substance. And even when he got sacked he went on Monday Night Football and they went through the goals he conceded and it looked like a big job interview.

“Rangers is such an iconic, legendary football club. I know the SPFL isn’t the greatest quality but Rangers are massive.

"If you put them in the EPL they are immediately one of the biggest. He somehow got the chance to take over this iconic club and it’s gone totally wrong. The fans weren’t having him anyway.

“If he’d won a few games it might be different but he’s given them nothing. He’ll get another job. I’m not sure where, he might have to lower his expectations - a bit like Steve Cooper who has gone to Brondby.

"He did well at Swansea but Rangers are expected to win 90 per cent of their games. They’re expected to do well in Europe so to lose 9-1 on aggregate is shambolic. They won’t take it, it’s as simple as that.”

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