Russell Martin Calls Out Rangers Mentality After Motherwell Draw
So, let me tell you what’s been going on with Rangers lately — and it’s already making waves in Scottish football. On the opening day of the Premiership season, Rangers drew 1-1 away at Motherwell. Not exactly a disaster on paper, but what really caught everyone’s attention wasn’t the result — it was what their head coach Russell Martin said afterwards. He didn’t just give the usual post-match fluff. He went all in on his players, and it wasn’t pretty.
Martin said, flat out, the team was lucky to get a point. And for context, this was only his third game in charge. He described himself as “extremely disappointed and hurt,” and said Motherwell were simply braver and more aggressive. That kind of raw honesty is rare, especially this early in the season. But it didn’t stop there.
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He pointed out — quite sharply — that there were “two men on the pitch” who just wanted to do their own thing. Not naming names, but it’s pretty clear he was talking about players who weren’t giving the effort the badge demands. Martin even mentioned some players need to “drop their ego,” and if they didn’t, they’d be left behind.
It wasn’t just a tactical critique either — he emphasized that this was a mentality problem, not just a bad game. That’s a massive statement, especially considering Rangers have now failed to win their league opener three seasons in a row. He talked about how the team tends to fall back into bad habits when things don’t go smoothly — a kind of “default to self-preservation” mode instead of sticking together and pushing through.
And you know what? Some fans and pundits are actually backing Martin. Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd and ex-Celtic forward Chris Sutton agreed with much of what he said — although Sutton did admit the comments were “extreme” for a season opener. But when you hear that Motherwell created far more chances and had an expected goals tally of 2.21 compared to Rangers' 0.7, it’s hard to argue with Martin’s frustration.
Still, it’s rare to see a new manager go this hard, this fast. It’s clear he’s trying to set a tone — that playing for Rangers isn’t about showing up when it’s easy, but digging deep when it’s not. Whether the squad responds or resists, time will tell. But if there’s one thing for sure, Russell Martin isn’t here to sugar-coat anything.
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