What Russell Martin and The Titanic have in common

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The Celtic Star

·12 de agosto de 2025

What Russell Martin and The Titanic have in common

They say that a week is a long time in politics and it’s the exact same in football. Take the new manager at theRangers, Russell Martin, formerly the boss down at Southampton…

Russell Martin, Manager of theRangers gives the team instructions during the Scottish Premiership match between theRangers and Dundee at Ibrox on August 09, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Martin has gone from being written off after dropping points at Motherwell in the opening match of the Scottish Premiership season, to being likened to Celtic’s legendary manager Jock Stein after an impressive 3-0 Champions League first-leg qualifier victory over Viktoria Plzen.

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That result has the Ibrox support almost as ecstatic as a casino at NetBet.co.uk winner, before a few days later tumbling back to being a dud again after salvaging a point against Dundee at Ibrox with a stoppage time penalty to theRangers.

Poor Russell Martin – Mug to Messiah and back to being a mug again all in the course of a week!

Brendan Rodgers and Philippe Clement on th touchline at the 2024 Scottish Cup Final. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

The barmy cycle of an Ibrox supporter is in full flow as they just don’t know if they have a genius in their dugout or just an ‘accident waiting to happen’ as the script that they all know so well after the likes of Michael Beale – the guy they believed to be the brains behind Steven Gerrard – to the ‘Belgian Waffler’ Philippe Clement all promised so much but faltered at the feet of Brendan Rodgers.

This time they thought it was going to be different but they’ve bene left unsure whether to laugh or cry as they go from fast and effective European performances to dreadful showing domestically. By the time Celtic leave Ibrox on 31 August theRangers could find themselves TEN points behind the Champions.

So just over a week ago after failing to win yet another opening league fixture the knives were well and truly out for newly appointed theRangers boss Russell Martin, with his own and his players’ credibility being seriously questioned by theRangers supporters and even some of the laptop loyal in the Scottish mainstream media.

Russell Martin, Manager of theRangers interacts with the match referees following the Scottish Premiership match between theRangers and Dundee at Ibrox on August 09, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Fast forward a week and he’s under much more scrutiny just days after receiving some respite after being tipped for take the world by storm thanks to a comfortable win over what turned out to be a very average side in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier.

After dropping points at Fir Park, Martin was vilified, but last midweek they were back to idolising him, and tipping his players to break the Scottish transfer record amid being compared to Brazil 1970. Just a few days later they were once again questioning Martin and his players due to a trudged showing at home to Dundee which finished to the backdrop of an all too familiar rendition of their trademark chorus – the Ibrox boos.

Former Celtic manager Jock Stein, standing with trophies and photo of Celtic football club.Circa 1972.

Quite a contrast from the midweek appraisals which included former boss of Rangers FC, Graeme Souness giving his ten cents worth as he likened Martin’s attitude towards the players as akin to that of Jock Stein, after the way he rallied his troops following their Fir Park flop.

No doubt he will be back to being the hero if as expected theRangers qualify for the Champions League play off round later this evening.

The barmy but amusing cycle of an Ibrox supporter is in full flow, even at this early stage of the season. One wit however saw the funny side of it all, asking fellow supporters of theRangers what Russell Martin and The Titanic have in common.

His answer?

Neither should have left Southampton.