Assessing Russell Martin's record? Never mind the philosophy... follow the money

Analysis of the Rangers manager suggests he will match expectations in Scotland (despite the bad start) but could be outspent and outscored in Europe

I like Russell Martin and I say that as a lifelong fan of Southampton, a club which endured the worst season in its history under the 39-year-old former defender.

Not only did he set us on that path in 2024-25 — as we won just one of our opening 16 Premier League matches, drawing two and losing the other 13 before he was sacked — but he did so utter predictably.

After we had won the Championship play-off final in May last year, I wrote a piece, ‘What’s the point of football? (apart from everything)’, in which I described a post-match conversation I’d had with another fan.

“There’s no way we can play Russell Martin’s brand of possession football in the Prem, whatever he’s just said in his press conference. We’ll get destroyed. So he needs an entire rethink of his philosophy.” And of course, we knew he wasn’t going to rethink his philosophy.

Thus my low point of being a Saints fan was last season. Yes, it was probably even worse than the years that took us to League One and minus 10 points, although 2022-23 ran it close! As for the best season, or at least the most glorious moment?

The 1983-84 campaign has to be up there, when we finished second to Liverpool in the top division, and Danny Wallace scored the Goal of the Season, against Liverpool, below.

Watching so many youth products bloom was immensely satisfying too, from Shearer and Bridge to Bale, Lallana, Theo, Ox, JWP and so many more.

And, of course, so many of Le Tiss’s goals were utterly glorious. Le Tiss was always a Saint who kept his faith in survival.

But I guess the pinnacle still has to be winning the 1976 FA Cup. I was six. It’s the first match I clearly remember.

Trivia: it was the last FA Cup final the late Queen ever attended. She’s pictured below handing the trophy to the Saints captain, Peter Rodrigues. Having seen Saints of the Second Division topple the mighty Manchester United, Her Majesty evidently felt that she’d “completed” football and wouldn’t need to watch another game.

Anyway, I digress. Back to Russell Martin, the recently appointed manager of Rangers.

In many ways, I find him admirable. What’s not to like about a vegan, Buddhist, Green Party-voting, charismatic, handsome football coach who plays attacking possession football?

Even as a player back in 2018, then at Walsall, there was something slightly different about him, and if you haven’t read this interview with him by Stuart James in The Guardian from that time, I recommend it.

In this piece today, based on my experience as a fan of a club Martin has managed, and of having followed his career more generally as a journalist, I’ll have some good news, and not so good news, for Rangers supporters. I think the good outweighs the bad but what I’ll be looking at, specifically, is:

• The situation he inherited at Saints upon his arrival in summer 2023, following the club’s relegation from the Premier League, and how he got things right (and wrong) that season.

• An assessment of whether he was merely lucky to get Saints up, or used his management nous to do it, or just achieved what finances dictated he should.

• The situation he faced at Saints at the start of 2024-25, following the club’s promotion from the Championship, and how he got things right (and wrong) last season.

• An assessment of whether he was merely unlucky to get sacked, or lacked the management nous to avoid that.

• The situation he inherited at Rangers upon his appointment at Ibrox in June following the completion of the takeover of the club on May 30 by an American consortium including the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers. That group was/is led by “healthcare tycoon” Andrew Cavenagh, and I wrote in March that I didn’t expect them to produce miracles any time soon.

• How Martin, even at this early stage, has got things right and wrong at Rangers, and I assess where I think he might take the club in the coming months, and perhaps years.

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Nick Harris

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Adam Clery

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