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Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Rangers boss Martin staying buoyant amid an ocean of criticism following pep talk from surprise source
Landing the biggest job of his career at a time when Rangers were coming under American ownership, there was much to enthuse Russell Martin on arrival at Ibrox a couple of months ago. With an initial investment of £20million being pumped into the club's coffers — and a blank canvas on which to create his blueprint — this was a fresh start in a league which, in theory, suited his style of play. Where Martin had struggled so badly with Southampton at the bottom of the English Premier League last season, life at Rangers would be different. No longer would he be trying to punch above his weight. In Glasgow, he would be in charge of a team who are expected to dominate on a weekly basis. His obsession with possession, and insistence on playing out from the back, would suffocate so many of the opponents attempting a low block on the domestic scene. Before we have even reached mid-August, however, that particular theory is already being questioned. In two Premiership matches so far, Rangers have laboured to a couple of 1-1 draws with Motherwell and Dundee. Martin would never have been naive enough to expect a quick fix when he took the job. Tasked with trying to turn around a failing institution, overnight success was never really on the cards. It would take time. 'Aye, but you don't get time at the Old Firm.' That's a statement so often uttered on radio phone-ins and fan forums, and it remains comfortably the most tiresome and unhelpful cliche in Scottish football. To be questioning a manager's future at such an early juncture, as some Rangers supporters have done this week, is a nonsense. Such short-sighted, short-termism has blighted the club for years. None of this is to say that Martin gets a free pass. Barring the first leg of the Champions League qualifier against Viktoria Plzen at Ibrox, which Rangers won 3-0, the standard of football has been poor. In the return leg in the Czech Republic in midweek, Rangers were fortunate to go through despite losing 2-1 on the night. Plzen wasted numerous gilt-edged chances and could easily have scored two or three more goals. Martin admitted afterwards that the performance hadn't been good enough. He wasn't trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. He called the game as every other punter saw it. Indeed, his comments after pretty much every game so far have been honest and accurate. He hasn't tried to spin an alternative reality, as his predecessors Philippe Clement and Michael Beale would do regularly. This will take time to get right. The problem is that fans are fed up of hearing it, despite Martin showing more honesty and having a better style of play than the pair before him. It's a delicate situation. How does Martin balance the need for patience with the need to show progress and deliver results? 'I think there's been an energy around this place for a while, I'm talking inside and outside, it's just been a lot of disappointment and a lot of frustration and a lot of criticism (of) the players, (of) the club,' said Martin, whose side face Alloa in the Premier Sports Cup tonight. 'Everyone has an opinion; everyone's entitled to one. So while I'm here, while we are here, our job is to really focus on what we can affect and what we can impact. 'If we do our jobs to the best of our ability and focus on the work and being better and having really, really high standards that this club should stand for, then I just don't see how it doesn't go in the right direction. 'One of the maintenance guys here this week said: 'We're turning a tanker around, gaffer, and it will just take some time, but when we get it going...'. 'I thought it was a perfect analogy. 'He's a great guy. He was here when I was here before (as a player). I don't want to embarrass him but, honestly, when he said that, I was like: 'No, you're right. We just qualified for the Champions League (play-off).'. 'I spoke to the staff last Sunday after Dundee because everyone here supports the club and they really feel things. 'But our job in here is to try and just work, not let the outside noise affect how we work. It just can't.' Earlier this week, former Rangers midfielder Halliday was scathing in his criticism of some of the performances under Martin so far. Halliday, who was a team-mate during Martin's loan spell at Ibrox back in 2018, claimed on a podcast that the manager's tactical approach was leaving Rangers badly short of numbers in attack and devoid of creativity. 'You'll ask me about Andy Halliday's criticism at some point, I am sure, but it can't impact the work we do,' said Martin. 'We need to be really consistent in the process here. We need to be really consistent in our behaviour, be really consistent in what we're asking them to do. 'And then that consistency will show up on the pitch. I've been in this situation at every club we've been at. This is why I can sit here calmly and tell you what I think is going to happen next. 'We just have to trust the work and trust each other. And I've spoken to the players relentlessly about that. 'And I can see what's coming with them, how they're growing into the culture we're trying to build, how they're adapting to it, and that's why I'm excited about what's going to come.' Pressed on whether he had an issue with Halliday's comments, Martin said: 'No, I like Andy. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I regard him as a really good ex-team-mate and a good person and I like him. 'So I'm sure at some point we'll have a coffee in the West End and we'll sit down and discuss some. I know he wants to coach at some point. 'But when you work in the media, you have to give an opinion, right? So I've got absolutely no problem with it at all. Although I have never said we're going to play with inverted full-backs, I have told him that.' With a Champions League play-off clash with Club Brugge to come on Tuesday, Martin will rotate his squad against Alloa. New signings Thelo Aasgaard and Mikey Moore are both available and could make their debuts, with Hamza Igamane also fit again and ready to play. 'It's a nice position to be in,' added Martin. 'We'll see how many minutes they'll get on the pitch, but they'll all be back involved. 'We're not going to make 11 changes. So there'll be a chance for some people to play, for sure, but there are also some people who need to keep building and keep improving their performance. 'But, yeah, I'm looking forward to (seeing) some of the guys that will get opportunities, whether it's starting, whether it's coming off the bench, to see what they can bring us and how they can help us 'With Thelo and Mikey, I think they'll be top players, I really do. So much talent, character, courage to take the ball, creative, but really willing to run, physically both very good. So I think they'll help us a lot.'
Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Bowie's greatest hit ticked every box! Easter Road won't forget outrageous strike that stunned Partizan Belgrade
You can gauge the greatness of a spectacular long-range strike in several ways. There are the prosaic measurements of speed, distance and the apex which the ball reaches. You may well factor in the stage on which it is executed and its importance in the context of a game. Kieron Bowie's outrageous dipping strike against FK Partizan on Thursday ticked every box. The Hibs forward was closer to 40 yards from goal than 30 when he took aim. His left foot seemed to send the ball halfway to the moon before it landed in the top-right corner. Without it, Hibs' hopes of reaching the play-off round of the Conference League were fading. Perhaps the best assessment of a moment no one present will ever forget came from the man of the moment. 'I think their goalie was speaking to Martin Boyle after the game, asking why I shot,' revealed Bowie. 'So, that just sums it up really.' It certainly did. When Bowie rolled two opponents while contesting a long punt up the field, there wasn't a man, woman or child in the 19,377 crowd who considered that beating Marko Milosevic was even a vague possibility. It was a truly astonishing strike, one which many present will never have seen bettered and probably never will. 'I didn't feel like I needed to make something happen,' insisted Bowie. 'But, at half-time, Sammy (goalkeeping coach Craig Samson) spoke to me, telling me there was a goal in this for me. I didn't think it would be like that. 'I've obviously shielded two of them off, and then it's just sat up lovely and I've just hit it. And I'll never do that again, probably. 'When it went in, it felt unbelievable. The whole crowd erupted. Everyone was going mental on the bench, so I ran over there. Everyone was surrounding me. That was amazing.' While it was worthy of winning any game, that honour in fact would fall to Chris Cadden. On a night brimming with drama, Bowie's goal only nudged his side ahead on aggregate after a pair of unfathomable errors in the first half from goalkeeper Jordan Smith. Reduced to 10 men, Partizan's young side showed incredible spirit to level in the 95th minute and take the tie the distance. Many a Hibs team of the past would have been flummoxed by that. But the one David Gray has moulded is made of sterner stuff. 'I mean, they score like, what, five seconds before the end?' asked Bowie. 'And my head's gone. Like, I'm just shouting into the sky. 'But we showed the character that we've had throughout. You've seen that, back to Aberdeen when we drew 3-3 here.' Even without a goal which has immediately entered Hibs' folklore, Bowie's display was outstanding. There were two moments in the first half where he left his station, tracked back and regained possession with clean sliding tackles. Sat high in the main stand, Scotland manager Steve Clarke would have been impressed with everything the man from Kirkcaldy did. The first cap Bowie won in Liechtenstein in June will not be his last as the World Cup qualifiers come into view. 'I feel like that's a big thing, winning tackles, tracking back,' reflected the 22-year-old. 'That boosts the crowd. 'I feel like I just need to try and put myself in that shop window (for Scotland) and hopefully I can keep doing that. 'As the weeks go on, I'm playing more and more games, getting into my sharpness. 'I feel like I'm getting there, I'm almost fully fit now. You can see in my performances, it's not as slack as what I was last season.' None of this has come easy. Bowie started out as a 16-year-old in League One with hometown team Raith Rovers. A move to Fulham followed but he moved on loan to Northampton to get the first-team football he craved. There were huge expectations when Hibs paid a 'significant fee' for him a year ago, but the four months he spent out with a serious hamstring injury was a desperate setback. This now feels like his moment. 'I'm definitely improving as my games go on,' he added. 'I'm just constantly trying to play as many games as I can and I've done that. That's six starts in a row now and hopefully it can continue.' Under contract until 2028, the sky's the limit in terms of what he might achieve in his time in Leith. Capable of holding the ball up, blessed with game awareness and an eye for goal, he's a formidable talent whose reputation is starting to precede him. The fact that the Serbs had a man sent off for fouls against him home and away is taken as a backhanded compliment. 'In the first leg, they tried to stay off me a little bit,' said Bowie. 'And then they get a bit angry because they're not getting the ball and then they make silly fouls. That gives me a chance to go at them and I thrive on that. 'They were scared to try and get too tight on me, because I could just turn them. Over both legs, that was very important to get us up the pitch.' The significance of the aggregate win was lost on no one. In this, the club's 150th anniversary season and 70 years on since reaching the semi-final of the first European Cup, this is a result which would have met with resounding approval from the legends of yesteryear. Legia Warsaw await in a shoot-out which comes with the prize of group-stage football. They don't come bigger than that. Which is precisely how Bowie likes it. 'Nights like that are half the reason I came to this club, to get in Europe,' he said. 'We set ourselves the target of getting European group-stage football, no matter whether that was Europa or Conference League. Hopefully we can continue to have more big nights.'
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
Premier Sports Cup: Holders Celtic host top-flight new boys Falkirk
Update: Date: 19:54 BST Title: Post Content: Celtic 0-0 Falkirk Seven minutes gone at Parkhead and we're yet to have a shot at either end. Celtic are dominating possession but yet to carve Falkirk open. Update: Date: 19:50 BST Title: Post Content: Celtic 0-0 Falkirk Lee MillerFormer Falkirk manager on BBC Scotland Falkirk are going to be on the back foot and will have to defend a lot in this opening spell. Update: Date: 19:50 BST Title: Post Content: Celtic 0-0 Falkirk Kieran Tierney fizzes a wonderful first-time ball across the face of goal, but there aren't any takers in green and white. Update: Date: 19:46 BST Title: KICK-OFF Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Referee Lloyd Wilson peeps his whistle and away we go. Update: Date: 19:45 BST Title: Post Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Lee MillerFormer Falkirk manager on BBC Scotland It'll be an interesting contest. I'm looking forward to seeing Ross MacIver and how he challenges the Celtic centre-halves. It's two teams trying to play football. I think Celtic will come out bright but it'll be interesting to see how Falkirk deal with that early threat. Update: Date: 19:44 BST Title: Post Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) The players are out at Parkhead. Kick-off is just around the corner. Update: Date: 19:41 BST Title: Celtic weaker or stronger? Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Charlie MulgrewFormer Celtic defender on Premier Sports In the backline, Celtic are stronger, bringing in Tierney. They are stronger in midfield, bringing in Nygren. But, in the front line, they are weaker. They have lost Kygo, they have lost Kuhn and, although they brought in Jota, he is out for nine months. Update: Date: 19:39 BST Title: 'Performance level will increase as we go' - Rodgers Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers tells BBC Scotland: "For us it's a game we want to win no matter what day of the week it's on. We play games on different days of the week, it doesn't change anything. "We've had a good pre-season, it's still very early on but we've controlled the games well. We could've scored more goals but we didn't. "We will increase the performance level as we go but we can't forget the players have played well so far and we want to continue that mentality. "I've played the same team with one game a week but with the two qualification games coming up I didn't want players that I could pick for those to come in without having played. "We're at home and expect to perform well." On Falkirk boss John McGlynn: "I take great pride in his success. He belongs in the game. We built up a good connection when he was here and we got on very well. I respect him. "He's demonstrated that he wants talent and technique over power. "We know it's going to be a tough game tonight and I look forward to that and seeing him too." Update: Date: 19:37 BST Title: Tierney start a 'surprise' Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Charlie MulgrewFormer Celtic defender on Premier Sports I'm surprised Kieran Tierney is starting. Celtic are keen to build that muscle strength and maybe they just want to give him another 60 minutes. Update: Date: 19:33 BST Title: 'Celtic stronger this time' - McGlynn Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Falkirk manager John McGlynn has been speaking to Premier Sports, determined to learn from the 5-2 defeat at Celtic Park last season. "After the last time we were here, that's maybe why Celtic have kept their full-backs," he says. "They changed it last time, but I feel they are a bit stronger than they were last time against us. "We want to press on the outside and try to prevent crosses. We need to match that - that's the game plan. "Last season, we were still in the match at 70 minutes and we hope to stay in it beyond that." Update: Date: 19:32 BST Title: Post Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Let's get the pre-match thoughts of both managers, shall we? Update: Date: 19:28 BST Title: 'Big chance for Kenny' Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Pat BonnerFormer Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound I'm looking forward to seeing Johnny Kenny start. He scored goals for Shamrock Rovers, Brendan obviously likes him, but he's got to go out on the pitch and do it. Now is his chance to show the manager that they don't need to go back into the market for another striker. Update: Date: 19:24 BST Title: Rodgers 'fairly confident' Maeda will stay at Celtic Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) There has been speculation leading up to this match about the future of Celtic forward Daizen Maeda, but manager Brendan Rodgers is "fairly confident" the Japan international will be a Celtic player come the end of the summer transfer window. Large sections of the Parkhead side's support have become disgruntled at their club's transfer activity, with some fearing Maeda could leave. The 27-year-old was Celtic's standout player last term, scoring 33 goals and providing 12 assists in 51 games. When asked earlier this week if he is confident Maeda will remain at the club, Rodgers replied: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, fairly confident of that, as can be." Maeda has two years remaining on his contract and Rodgers says talks are ongoing regarding a new deal, but the manager is unaware of any progress. "There have been discussions going on in the background," the Celtic boss added. "I don't have any updates on it. I don't know of any developments." Update: Date: 19:22 BST Title: Post Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) It's a balmy evening in Glasgow. The temperature is still in the mid-20s - ideal conditions for two teams who like to get the ball down and play. Update: Date: 19:19 BST Title: 'Bairns need balance' Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Tony DochertyFormer Dundee manager on BBC Sportsound Falkirk will take reference from their last visit here. They need to be comfortable out of possession and be a threat going forward and it is difficult to get that balance. Update: Date: 19:16 BST Title: Will Falkirk attack Celtic? Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) The last time Falkirk went to Celtic Park, the then-Championship side flew out of the blocks and went at Celtic. Goals from Ross MacIver and Finn Yeats had John McGlynn's side 2-1 up at half-time, before a double apiece for Adam Idah and Nicolas Kuhn ensured Celtic avoided an upset. Still, it was notable how McGlynn's front-foot play was able to cause problems against Scotland's dominant club side. Will league setbacks at the start of this season lead to tweaks from McGlynn or will he stick to his approach and take the game to this much-changed Celtic side? "For us, a reference was how well we did there last season," McGlynn said earlier this week. "We've got to take a bit of confidence and belief from that. "We're always going to create chances with the type of team we are. We want to come out of Celtic Park with our heads held high and who knows? Maybe in the quarter-finals." Ross MacIver will fancy a repeat of this goal tonight Update: Date: 19:13 BST Title: Two changes for visitors Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) John McGlynn has been forced into a change on the wing after Ethan Ross picked up "quite a serious" ankle injury against Livingston. Aidan Nesbitt drops to the bench as Henry Cartwright and Alfie Agyeman come into the team. Keelan Adams continues at right-back for Falkirk Update: Date: 19:07 BST Title: Sinisalo starts as Celtic change six Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Brendan Rodgers has made a raft of changes from his side's 2-0 win over Aberdeen last time out, perhaps with one eye on the first leg of their Champions League play-off against Kairat Almaty on Wednesday. Viljami Sinisalo replaces Kasper Schmeichel in goal, Dane Murray and Auston Trusty form a new-look centre-back partnership, while Arne Engels and Luke McCowan come into midfield. Up front, Johnny Kenny is preferred to Adam Idah, with James Forrest and Daizen Maeda continuing out wide. Viljami Sinisalo starts in goal for Celtic Update: Date: 19:04 BST Title: LINE-UPS from Celtic Park Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Celtic: Sinisalo, Johnston, Murray, Trusty, Tierney, McGregor, Engels, McCowan, Forrest, Maeda, Kenny. Substitutes: Schmeichel, Scales, Nygren, Idah, Yang, Yamada, Bernardo, Hatate, Ralston. Falkirk: Bain, Adams, Neilson, Henderson, McCann, Spencer, Tait, Miller, Cartwright, Agyeman, MacIver. Substitutes: Hogarth, Oliver, Graham, Nesbitt, Allan, Mackie, Arfield, Walker, McCrone. Update: Date: 19:00 BST Title: Good evening Content: Celtic v Falkirk (19:45) Celtic's defence of their Premier Sports Cup crown begins this evening as they welcome Falkirk to Parkhead in the first of eight second-round ties. Brendan Rodgers' side have beaten St Mirren and Aberdeen to start their league season, while John McGlynn's Falkirk cruised through the group stages of this tournament before drawing against Dundee United and losing against Livingston in the Premiership. Kick-off is 45 minutes away...
