Horrifying stat shows why Rangers boss Russell Martin is under pressure
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Credit: Imago
Chris Smith
Thu 28 August 2025 15:39, UK
A horrifying stat has emerged that explains exactly why Rangers fans are so furious with the start Russell Martin has made as manager.
Russell Martin arrived at Ibrox this summer following an 18-month spell with Southampton and made an initially promising start to life at his new club.
Rangers made it past Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen in the first two rounds of Champions League qualifying, but more recently, have descended into awful form — winning one and losing three of their last six games across all competitions.
Things really came to the boil on Wednesday as 10-man Rangers were utterly humiliated 6-0 by Club Brugge in their Champions League playoff second leg, going 5-0 down by half-time and sealing a 9-1 aggregate defeat — sparking outrage among supporters.
Rangers’ loss in Belgium on Wednesday was their heaviest away from home since going down by the same scoreline to Real Madrid in the European Cup, way back in October 1963.
But that’s probably not even the worst statistic to come out of this Champions League embarrassment.
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Instead, it’s that among managers to take charge of four or more games, Martin’s 30% win rate (3/10) is the worst in Rangers history.
2025/26 statsRangers under Russell MartinGames10Win3Draw4Lose3Win percentage30%Goals for15Goals against17Goal difference-2Rangers under Russell Martin
The loss to Brugge leaves Martin’s win rate level with Kenny McDowall, who only served a 10-game interim spell in 2014/15, and 10% worse than Barry Ferguson, who also took temporary charge at the end of last season following Philippe Clement’s dismissal.
Only one of Rangers’ victories has come in domestic play, and even that proved to be a problematic 4-2 win at home to League One Alloa Athletic in the Scottish League Cup.
The Gers are six points behind arch-rivals and defending champions Celtic, who are seeking a 56th title that will take them top of the pile in Scottish football for the first time since the 1920s.
The two Glasgow rivals lock horns at the weekend for the first time this season, and as reported by Football Insider transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke, it’s that game that will be the ultimate decider of Martin’s fate.
Of course, that revelation was before the unexpectedly brutal nature of Wednesday’s defeat, meaning Martin’s margin for error is even slimmer — while the former Saints boss is facing even more anger from fans.
BBC Sport’s chief Scottish football writer, Tom English, even suggested that Rangers supporters will have been ‘willing Brugge on’ to an even bigger victory on Wednesday to speed up Martin’s demise.
Even if Martin somehow inspires a win over Celtic, Rangers then have games against second-place Hearts in the Premiership and third-place Hibernian in the League Cup to contend with next, meaning it really doesn’t get easier anytime soon.
But for now, Martin’s sole focus will be on somehow getting through the Celtic game with his job — and Rangers’ title chances — still intact.