Russell Martin’s short-lived tenure as Rangers head coach came to a dramatic end on October 5, 2025, after a turbulent spell marked by poor results, fan unrest, and an atmosphere of mounting pressure both on and off the pitch. The 39-year-old Englishman, who arrived in Glasgow with a reputation for building teams with a clear footballing identity, now exits Ibrox after just five months in charge, leaving behind a club searching for stability and answers in a season that has gone off the rails.
Martin’s dismissal followed a 1-1 draw away to newly promoted Falkirk, a result that left Rangers languishing in eighth place in the William Hill Premiership—an astonishing 11 points adrift of leaders Hearts as the league paused for its second international break. The draw proved to be the final straw for supporters, who had grown increasingly vocal in their calls for change. After the match, angry fans surrounded the team bus and attempted to block its departure, prompting mounted police to intervene and escort Martin from the stadium car park. The scene underscored just how far relations between the manager and the fanbase had deteriorated.
The club’s official statement was measured but clear: “Rangers Football Club confirms that it has parted company with head coach Russell Martin. While all transition periods require some time, results have not met the club’s expectations.” The statement also confirmed the departures of assistant head coach Matt Gill and first-team coach Mike Williamson, both of whom had joined Martin’s backroom staff at the start of his tenure. “Russell and his staff have worked exceptionally hard throughout their time at the club. We thank them for their efforts and wish them well for the future. Further updates from the club will follow in due course.”
Martin’s record at Rangers was, by any measure, disappointing. He managed just one victory in seven league matches, with five wins in 17 games across all competitions. The team struggled to find consistency or confidence, and defensive frailties were evident throughout the campaign. The summer’s heavy squad overhaul, orchestrated by new sporting director Kevin Thelwell, saw Rangers spend approximately £20 million net, with a focus on players from the English market. Notably, the club made an £8 million move for Everton forward Youssef Chermiti, while letting go of prolific forwards Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane, who had scored 45 goals between them the previous season. But new signings failed to gel, and the team’s lack of cohesion was apparent on the pitch.
The European campaign was even more damaging. Rangers suffered a humiliating 9-1 aggregate defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League play-offs in August, one of the worst results in the club’s storied history. The disappointment continued with back-to-back Europa League losses to Racing Genk and SK Sturm Graz, and the Scottish side’s hopes of a deep continental run evaporated almost before they’d begun. Domestically, a shock 2-0 home defeat to Hearts and a solitary league win—secured only in late September against Livingston, thanks to a dramatic late strike from Max Aarons—did little to ease the pressure on Martin.
Martin did enjoy a brief respite with a 2-0 Scottish League Cup victory over Hibernian, and he leaves the club in the semi-finals of the Premier Sports Cup, where a high-stakes Hampden derby against arch-rivals Celtic awaits on November 2. Yet, in the eyes of many, these small successes were overshadowed by the team’s broader failings. The manager himself was candid about the situation in his final interviews. “They’re giving us everything they’ve got. I think they’re really trying. So I have to take responsibility for it, not them,” Martin told reporters after the Falkirk draw. “There’s been some really honest discussions with them in the dressing room, some frustration with them and each other, but ultimately I’m the one in charge of the team, so I have to accept responsibility.”
He also reflected on the challenges of building a winning side with a youthful squad: “There has been improvement. Maybe not in results but performance a lot, but I know everyone just wants to win games. You also have to have a way to learn and grow and develop. You can’t just win sustainably, in my opinion. You can’t just win if you don’t have a team of seasoned men with thousands of games under their belt collectively that no-one understands. We haven’t got that. We’ve got a lot of young players that are growing into it and they need a lot of help. My job is to keep trying to help them and I’ll do it until I’m told not to.”
Martin’s appointment in June 2025 came on the heels of a significant regime change at Ibrox. The club’s new American owners, including the 49ers Enterprises group, had completed a takeover and installed chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell to oversee a new era. Martin, who had previously managed MK Dons, Swansea City, and Southampton—achieving promotion to the Premier League with the latter in 2024—was seen as a forward-thinking choice, beating out high-profile candidates such as Davide Ancelotti. Yet, his brief spell at Southampton in the top flight had ended in December 2024 with a sacking, and his arrival at Rangers was met with skepticism from some quarters of the fanbase.
The club’s search for stability has now become more urgent than ever. Martin’s sacking makes him the third Rangers manager to leave the post in 2025, following Philippe Clement’s dismissal in February after a Scottish Cup defeat to Queen’s Park and the interim stewardship of former captain Barry Ferguson. The pressure is now firmly on Stewart and Thelwell to identify a successor who can galvanize a squad that, despite boasting internationals like Jack Butland, John Souttar, Derek Cornelius, Mohamed Diomande, Nicolas Raskin, Thelo Aasgaard, and Bojan Miovski, has looked bereft of confidence and identity.
Names such as Steven Gerrard and Danny Rohl have already been floated as potential replacements, but the club’s leadership will be acutely aware of the need to get this appointment right. With the international break offering a brief window for reflection, Rangers are left to regroup before returning to league action at home to Dundee United. The next manager will inherit a team in transition, with a fanbase desperate for renewed hope and a return to the standards expected at Ibrox.
As the dust settles on Russell Martin’s ill-fated spell in charge, Rangers face a critical juncture. The board’s next move could define not just the remainder of this campaign, but the trajectory of the club for seasons to come. For now, the search for answers—and for a new leader—begins in earnest.
