Rangers-bound Russell Martin on his EPL ‘dark arts' failure
The incoming Gers manager was sacked by Saints last December. He had won them promotion to the Premier League months prior by beating Leeds United in the play-off final and had been praised for playing football that was easy on the eye.
But he tried to stick to his principles in the top flight and the south-coast side won just one of their opening sixteen fixtures, leaving them bottom of the league and club chiefs with no choice but to pull the trigger.
His final game in charge was against Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham and saw them fall 1-0 down inside the first minute and concede another four before half-time.
Martin's appointment at Ibrox appears to be a divisive one and there are concerns about that stubbornness and refusal to be flexible with his style.
Read more: What Russell Martin said about Rangers after 'all over the place' loan spell
Russell Martin to become next Rangers manager and succeed Clement - Video
However, comments made by him soon after his sacking may go some way to ease fears.
Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football at the time, he said: "I think if I look back now at the start of the season, I would have made way more onus on fouling quickly, being more horrible out of possession.
"Because we're pressing a lot but more detail with that about making contact earlier. I was really happy with the way we defended in the low block at times and suffering a bit more.
"But my thing is always, actually, let's try and dominate the ball but there are going to be times when we have to suffer.
"So I think a bit more athleticism is in the team, but if you're not going to have that then we need to make a real focus on being really difficult to play against, as well as all the stuff with the ball.
"Because then, if you could bring the beauty with a ball, but also bring the darkness with that stuff, you need both."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
20 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Underwhelming managerial hires – who stands the best chance?
Starting with Hearts hiring Derek McInnes on May 19 and ending whenever Motherwell get around to appointing a successor to Michael Wimmer, there will be five clubs alone in the top flight who will have brought someone new into the dugout – while there's a notable example from the Championship we'll also get to. There hasn't been universal acclaim for any of them. In fact, McInnes, unwanted by a not-to-significant portion of the Tynecastle support prior to his arrival, is now the most popular of the lot after he managed to charm a good few doubters in his introductory press conference. Since then, Kilmarnock underwhelmed the Rugby Park faithful by filling the McInnes-shaped hole with ex-Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell. Dundee skanted their own fanbase by giving former Dundee United defender Steven Pressley his first head coaching gig in six years. And Rangers have disappointed many of their fans (and angered the culture-war weirdos) by appointing noted vegan and Buddhist Russell Martin. Then there's Partick Thistle a tier down who spent a couple of months identifying potential candidates, then a couple of weeks interviewing them, only to be left with one-half of the management team already in place as Mark Wilson gets his first permanent job in the hotseat since leaving fourth-tier Brechin City in 2020. As much as it seems some of the aforementioned clubs are setting themselves up for disaster, history would dictate that not every one of these guys is going to be a failure next season and some will even triumphantly prove the doubters wrong. Let's start with Martin, whose arrival at Ibrox is very much the big talking point in Scottish football at the moment. His eating habits and religious curiosities are, of course, irrelevant to how he will perform as manager of the Rangers first-team, but there is legitimate concern around a leader who had a modest win-ratio while in charge of MK Dons and Swansea City before getting sacked by Southampton. In fairness, he did take the St Mary's club into the English Premier League, though that achievement doesn't count for as much as it should, seeing as it was immediately followed by a dreadful half-season in which his team won one game, got horsed regularly and sat bottom of the table when his p45 came in December's mail. Martin's track-record may not suggest he's the man to lead Rangers back to former glories, but he is the type of manager who the Light Blues should be hiring. Across recent seasons the Ibrox club have continued to overachieve on the continent and underachieved in domestic football. Scottish football has collectively scratched their heads and marvelled at how Rangers, a team who struggle so often to beat the likes of Hibs and St Mirren, can often go toe-to-toe with outfits who should be wiping the floor with them – including each of this year's Europa League finalists. There are a number of factors at play, but the main reason is relatively simple: they're set up that way. Rangers have been at their best when counter-attacking and direct, which is an approach that allows them to punch above their weight in Europe while also failing to maximise the technical advantages they have over every other Scottish team bar one. It also made them surprisingly competitive in games against Celtic despite finishing 17 points off the pace. Martin's philosophy is to keep the ball in the attacking third and try to pick the lock, which is often how opponents dictate the game is to be played when facing Rangers. They do need to turn over a fair few members of the squad, as many won't be suitable for various reasons, but while it would be a reach to predict Martin's Rangers overhauling Celtic, this could at least see them returning to a level where the rest of the Scottish Premiership fear them. And that's certainly an improvement on last term. At Dens Park, Pressley will have a tough job convincing 6,000 people every second week that his hire wasn't a major own goal by the Dundee hierarchy. His record in management isn't as bad as you may think and he's often been parachuted in at in-opportune times. However, there's a lot to be fearful about this decision. Firstly, it rarely goes well when an appointment is as vociferously criticised by the fans as this one. Secondly, this is part of a new strategy for Dundee where they're focusing intently on player development. As part of this, David Longwell has been hired as technical manager and will also be part of the coaching staff. While clubs deserve respect for plotting strategies aimed at giving them an advantage over competitors, it can sometimes feel like they've taken their eyes off the most important thing in running a successful football club – winning games. The good news is that Pressley can make improvements simply by making Dundee a harder team to score against, which is something which alluded Tony Docherty throughout his tenure. If Simon Murray can continue his talismanic heroics down the other end then there's a clear recipe for moving up a couple of places (though top-six talk seems fanciful at this stage). Kettlewell at Killie is an archetypal 'safe pair of hands'. The former midfielder has his detractors – and he apparently hears them all too well – but his record in the Scottish Premiership is decent enough. He seems to be good at getting the best out of forward players and the talented midfielders, so expect Bruce Anderson and Matty Kennedy to have impressive seasons as Killie begin the transition away from McInnes' team, which was beginning to get a little old in places. As for Wilson, he reassuringly admitted to having made mistakes in his past managerial stints and insists he's learned from them – a trait often missing from Scottish football coaches – but the divorce from his coaching partnership with Brian Graham (still a player at Thistle) and the club looking to cut spending doesn't bode well in what's sure to be another highly competitive second-tier season.
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Andy Robertson responds to Liverpool links with Milos Kerkez
Andy Robertson has insisted that he still has 'a lot to give' as Liverpool pursue his potential left-back successor in Milos Kerkez. Robertson, 31, has been Liverpool's undisputed first-choice pick at left-back slot for the past eight years, but after a far from perfect individual season, his status as a regular starter could be under threat. Arne Slot 's side are said to be edging closer to a move for Bournemouth sensation Milos Kerkez, who stamped his mark as one of the best in his position last term. The 21-year-old Hungarian could be Robertson's long-term replacement at Anfield, potentially consigning two-time Premier League winner Robertson to the scrapheap. But while acknowledging that a deal for Kerkez could get over the line, Robertson is yet to throw in the towel in his fight to remain Liverpool's go-to left-back. "We're not daft, it looks as if a deal could potentially be done," Robertson told BBC Scotland when asked about the Kerkez rumours. "But, until that is done, I've not even given that a second thought. I back myself. I've got confidence in my own ability and that drives me forward. "I've had eight fantastic years at Liverpool in terms of winning trophies and being a mainstay in the team, which I'm incredibly proud of. "I'm not getting any younger. I can't change my age, but I still believe I've got a lot to give and that's what I focus on. I focus on myself - you can't focus on other people or who you're competing with." Robertson has won everything there is to win since arriving on Merseyside from Hull in 2017, lifting the Champions League, FA Cup, Club World Cup and two Carabao Cups, on top of his two Premier League crowns. He is lauded as one of the bargains of the modern era, with Liverpool signing their stalwart defender for a fee of just £8m. However, his time as an indispensable asset at Liverpool could be nearing an end should the marauding Kerkez come through the door, who managed two goals and five assists last season.
Daily Mirror
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Barry McGuigan picks his winner in intriguing Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni fight
For the second time in his career Fabio Wardley's white-collar background faces the elite amateur test. It took two bouts to prevail against Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke, but the emphatic nature of his victory in the rematch highlights the scale of the challenge facing former World Amateur bronze medallist Justis Huni. The Australian took the fight at five week's notice following the withdrawal of Jarrell Miller. He either needs the money or fancies his chances of fast-tracking his career in Ipswich. Wardley did not follow the traditional amateur route. It is easy to be dismissive of his white-collar background. I note Teddy Atlas has bet 1,500 dollars on a Huni win. I'm not so sure. Professional boxing is significantly different to the amateurs. It tests fighters in different ways. In Wardley's case the traditional route is irrelevant. He is established as a pro and that's what counts. I get it. If you are looking at talent alone you could not pick better than Huni. He is a good all-round fighter. He moves well, has great timing and fast hands. But it's the quality you can't measure that makes the difference. You can't stick a tape measure around the stuff that gets you over the line. But you can feel it. For me Huni lacks a bit of bite. He does not have enough want in him. I'm not sure he can get on the gas and get after people. Wardley has proved himself in that regard. Getting this far via the white collar route is testimony to that. I watched Huni against big-punching Kevin Lerena, who dropped Daniel Dubois twice. Huni was hurt but he recovered quickly and won the fight. But Wardley is a tougher prospect than Lerena. At 6ft 5ins he is a modern heavy and he showed against Clarke that he can dig deep. After Lerena, Huni probably thinks Wardley does not hit any harder. I think he will be surprised. I sense Wardley will be a little too sharp for this guy. I'm just not convinced by Huni. He's a talented fighter but perhaps is missing that last ten percent that makes the difference at this level. He is not a devastating puncher yet he likes to exchange and that makes him vulnerable. He might look good early but I don't think he has enough about him to hold off Wardley. I think the local boy knocks him out in the last third, or even earlier, to set Portman Road alight. Sky has slashed the price of its bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more. Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
