Some clubs are sleeping giants, just ready to be awakened after years of very little success. However, it is unusual for one of Britain’s most historic football institutions to be described as a ‘sleeping giant’.
However, that is what Scottish giants Rangers are at the moment. The latest boss brought in to turn around the club’s fortunes, Russell Martin, was shown the door on Sunday after just four months in charge.
He became the shortest-serving coach in the history of the club, having managed the club for just four months.
What went wrong under Martin at Rangers?
Martin was sacked after a run of just one win in their previous seven games in all competitions, having managed the team for just 17 competitive matches. In fact, the club is languishing in eighth place in the Scottish top-flight table, 11 points behind league leaders and city rivals Celtic.
The former Southampton boss was brought in as the club’s first head coach, rather than manager. Off the field, responsibilities were left mainly to the club’s relatively new director of football, Kevin Thelwell, and technical director Dan Purdy, who had both arrived in Glasgow from Premier League club Everton.
The club’s hierarchy believed that the 39-year-old was the right head coach to bring in a new footballing culture. Martin had a developing reputation as a young head coach who creates teams that play attractive football.
He helped Southampton secure promotion to the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, but was sacked in December with the team bottom of the English top-flight table. One of the reasons many cited for his downfall with the Saints was his unwillingness to adapt his style.
Rangers struggled before Martin’s arrival
To blame Martin entirely for Rangers’ current situation would be harsh. However, there is no doubt that the team was underperforming this season. Recent history shows that Rangers’ struggles go back decades.
Some may argue that the club’s troubles began with its financial issues in the early 2000s, which resulted in the original club being demoted to the Scottish fourth tier for the 2012/13 season, but as a new entity, although essentially it was still Rangers.
After a series of promotions, Rangers returned to the SPL for the 2016/17 season. It was always going to be tough to expect the Gers to return to the SPL and expect to compete with bitter rivals Celtic on a level playing field.
In truth, Celtic were miles ahead, as they had been attempting to build a team that would not only dominate Scottish football but also produce better results in the European game. To be fair to the Hoops, they have been making strides towards those goals in recent seasons.
Since Rangers returned to the SPL, they have claimed the title just once, under former Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard back in 2021. However, not to be outdone, Celtic have won every title since.
It appears that, in the eyes of many, Celtic is Rangers’ most significant problem. They are the obstacle that they need to overcome to become a powerful force once more. In truth, for much of the history of Scottish football, it has been that way anyway, so that is nothing new.
The big two had a stranglehold on Scottish football, with both teams winning an incredible 55 domestic titles apiece. Unless something extraordinary happens, Celtic will move a title ahead of their arch-rivals, which will no doubt hurt Rangers fans.
Rangers could be a good challenge on FM26
The challenge of managing Rangers is substantial, as they are a big club with big expectations. Everybody at the club expects to win, but the reality doesn’t quite match the current situation.
They have decent players, but not great ones. However, it is difficult to sign quality players, as there won’t be a massive budget for wages or signings. There is the upside that there aren’t many clubs competing for the league title anyway, as it’s the ultimate two-horse race. Conquering Europe is a far more difficult assignment.
If you are up for resurrecting one of British football’s oldest institutions and fancy a challenge in FM26, then Rangers would not be a bad first save for you.
Would you take on the challenge of resurrecting Rangers in FM26?
