Will Martin’s post match blast at Fir Park be an empty threat or will he take action?
15:19, 05 Aug 2025Updated 15:20, 05 Aug 2025
Rangers’ Nicolas Raskin, Mohammed Diomande, James Tavernier and Cyriel Dessers during a training session
Russell Martin said what many Rangers fans have felt for years about the some of the current squad members when the blazing boss went nuclear with his fizzing Fir Park post match interview.
But supporters will find out if he will follow it up by actually taking drastic action when they face Viktoria Plzen in their huge Champions League third round qualifying first leg.
And if the leaked team sweeping social media in the hours building up to the match are anything to go by then it seems Martin might be about to get ruthless.
For a start, in the XI being bandied about there is NO place for captain James Tavernier with the skipper, despite opening the scoring against Motherwell, coming in for criticism for his part in the Steelmen’s late leveller.
Martin referred to players “just jogging around” and both Tavernier and the much-maligned Kieran Dowell didn’t cover themselves in glory in the build up to the late sucker punch, neither strong enough in the tackle to stop Emmanuel Longelo as he made his way into the box before the ball ended up back him to fire past Jack Butland.
Tavernier has split the Ibrox support for long enough with many fans believing a succession of managers’ loyalty to the long-serving skipper has cost them.
Rangers James Tavernier, Oscar Cortes and Kieran Dowell
And with Max Aarons a natural right back being played on the left – and looking uncomfortable – to accommodate Tavernier then it could be Martin will choose to bench Tavernier and bring Jefte into the left back slot.
Martin surprised many by turning to Dowell this season when it looked like the ex-Norwich City man’s Ibrox career was over when he was shipped out on loan to Birmingham City.
And he hasn’t made the most of his second chance in this three outings this season but with the signing of Oliver Antman and his inclusion in the Champions League squad then it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see that swap, as the rumoured line-up suggests.
Martin picked out Cyriel Dessers and Lyall Cameron for praise in terms of attitude amid a blast about egos in the squad and those two could also come in.
And that would also see the axe fall on Nico Raskin, with Joe Rothwell’s arrival squeezing him out of the position he did so well in last season, and Danilo.
Leaked Rangers XI: Butland, Aarons, Djiga, Souttar, Jefte, Cameron, Rothwell, Diomande, Gassama, Antman, Dessers