Brugge battered his sorry team 6-0
21:58, 27 Aug 2025Updated 22:57, 27 Aug 2025
It’s difficult to see how Russell Martin comes back from losing 6-0 – and 9-1 on aggregate.
Just 84 days into his tenure as Rangers’ manager, supporters unequivocally decided last night that his time at Ibrox is already up.
He was left stunned at the Jan Breydel Stadium as Club Brugge ran riot against his beleaguered side.
Rangers suffered a Champions League embarrassment, on a woeful night for Martin’s men.
And after the Belgians went FIVE up by HALF-TIME, travelling fans loudly told their manager exactly where to go
Gers had Max Aarons sent off early on which didn’t help their cause.
But after that, the capitulation from Martin’s players left punters angry and humiliated.
Rangers players look absolutely dejected
And before the summer transfer window has even closed, there are now huge question marks over his future.
Martin now has no room for error against Celtic on Sunday in the first Old Firm derby of the season.
Because the display in Brugge was an unmitigated disaster from the off.
After Nicol Tresoldi’s opener and Aarons’ red card, their Champions League dream was killed stone dead.
Skipper Hans Vanaken grabbed a second before Joaquin Seys’ brace made it 4-0 – and Aleksandar Stankovic scored a fifth.
The Belgians also hit the bar twice, while Jack Butland was forced into a string of saves.
And this was all in the first 45 minutes.
Greek ace Christos Tzolis hit Brugge’s sixth just after the break before Gers eventually stopped the bleeding.
American Answers
A penny for the thoughts of Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe right now.
When Rangers’ new American owners – backed by 49ers Enterprises – swept into power at Ibrox, there was a new wave of optimism amongst supporters who have been starved of success for too long.
Their first head-coach appointment of Russell Martin was met with scepticism but they were adamant he was the right man to lead the club back to its glory days.
But what must Cavenagh and Marathe be thinking now?
They knew it would take time for Martin to implement his style and accepted there would be a £20 million squad revamp.
But just a month into the new season, Rangers have failed to win a league game, suffered a Champions League humiliation at the hands of Brugge – and the fans have already had enough of the manager.
After their takeover, the new chairman and vice-chairman have stayed silent, allowing Patrick Stewart to run the club.
But now, all three men must speak up and give the fans answers.
Raskin Riddle
On his return home to Belgium, Nico Raskin would have been desperate to start – and shine – against Club Brugge.
But not for the first time under Martin the Red Devils international midfielder was left kicking his heels on the Rangers bench.
The Ibrox boss insists there isn’t a problem between him and the 24-year-old and says he’s keen for Raskin to stay in Glasgow.
But it feels like there’s already a strain on their relationship and last night’s omission won’t have helped.
Previously, the accusation was that Martin wasn’t deploying Raskin in his best position, pushing him forward as opposed to being a sitter.
Was he just resting one of his star men ahead of the Old Firm game against Celtic on Sunday?
Maybe, but at 5-0 down he had to be brought on at half-time anyway.
And with the transfer window entering its final stages, there has to be uncertainty about whether Raskin will be a Rangers player for the long-term under the club’s current gaffer.
No case for defence
There are plenty of things wrong with Martin’s Rangers team right now.
But it’s difficult to see them winning ANY game if they keep defending like this.
His players must have known how important it was to keep things tight early on in Belgium to keep themselves in the tie.
But within eight minutes of kick-off, they were all over the place at the back.
Brugge’s first ball over the top caught out Jayden Meghoma who was booked for a rash challenge on Carlos Forbs.
Two minutes later, Oliver Antman failed to track his runner on the right flank before Nasser Djiga was caught on his blind side by Tresoldi who scored.
To top it off, Aarons was then sent off for hauling down Tzolis from another simple Brugge through ball that Rangers simply couldn’t deal with.
It was a shambolic start defensively which effectively put them out the tie.
Worst ever?
Before this, Rangers had never lost a competitive post-war game by more than six goals – but if it wasn’t for Jack Butland it would have happened here.
Previously, only Real Madrid, Celtic, Aberdeen – and most recently Liverpool in the Champions League – had secured a winning margin that big against the Ibrox side.
So the embarrassment in Brugge equalled the club’s worst EVER result and that’s something Martin and his players will have to live with.
With all due respect to their Belgian hosts, who are a good side – they’re not one of Europe’s top outfits.
And what makes matters worse for the manager and his team is the manner in which they surrendered at the Jan Breydel Stadium.
After going behind early, the tie was over so they should have shut up shop, been compact and got out of Belgium with their reputation intact.
Instead, they collapsed in spectacular fashion. Players stopped running, tracking runners and doing the basics.
And for the supporters who have now given up on Martin THAT is what will have hurt most.
Derby Dilemmas
Has any Rangers manager ever been under so much pressure going into their first Old Firm game as Martin?
It certainly doesn’t feel like it ahead of Sunday’s crunch derby at Ibrox against Brendan Rodgers’ side.
And after this battering in Brugge, Martin has some major decisions to make with his team selection.
He’ll be praying he gets a couple of new players in, especially a striker with Bojan Miovski heavily linked.
But he’ll have huge calls to make on the ones already at the club who have failed to perform so far this term.
Starting Aarons at right-back would be a massive gamble for the gaffer given his start to life at Rangers.
He’s struggled for form and it’s impossible to see how he plays against Celtic ahead of James Tavernier.
There are also question marks over fellow new boys like Antman, Joe Rothwell and Thelo Aasgaard, who look devoid of confidence.
After the beating in Belgium, expect some of the old guard like Raskin, Mo Diomande and Cyriel Dessers to come back in.