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Overnight, the atmosphere within the club shifted dramatically. Martin had "hit a home run" during his presentation to the new owners of the club. In that impressive interview, he transformed a 40-60 predicament into a 60-40 situation in his favor. Shortly after, he was named the new head coach of Rangers.
That private presentation marked the peak of Martin's success, who became the fourth manager of Rangers to be dismissed in under three years, following in the footsteps of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, and Philippe Clement.
Van Bronckhorst experienced an outrageous dismissal but is now with Liverpool, having won the Scottish Cup and led Rangers to the Europa League final. Beale, a newcomer, initially started strong, winning 13 of his first 14 matches before things took a downturn.
Clement secured a League Cup, achieved notable victories in Europe, had a draw against Spurs, the Europa League champions, and narrowly lost to Manchester United, the runners-up, in extra time, yet he still faced termination.
Martin had no defense to present. He lacked evidence of any positive development. Recently, when asked to identify improvements during his tenure, he was unable to provide any examples. This inability spoke volumes.
An increasingly wearisome "we will get better" narrative only fueled an incredibly tense atmosphere that some observers of Rangers have rarely seen before.
'Martin’s justifications flowed endlessly'
Long-time Rangers supporters, almost as ancient as the Campsie Fells—hills located near the club’s training ground north of Glasgow—would argue that Martin was the worst manager in memory, and that’s quite a statement.
One of his predecessors, Pedro Caixinha, had once faced a humiliating loss to Progres Niederkorn, then ended the evening by arguing with Rangers fans while perched in a bush.
Martin’s departure was filled with chaos. A draw against Falkirk led fans to once again demand his dismissal, a refrain that had become almost constant and filled with anger recently. He was escorted out through a back exit at Falkirk Stadium under police protection. It was an undignified situation that could not continue.
The draw with Falkirk came after a series of league draws against Motherwell, Dundee, St Mirren, and Celtic. Hearts triumphed over them at Ibrox, while Brugge defeated them 6-0 and then 3-1 in European matches. Rangers struggled mightily even to overcome Livingston. Every match felt like the sound of nails scraping on a chalkboard. It was unbearable.
So too were Martin’s justifications following these results. He traversed a variety of excuses. He mentioned that his players were anxious and fearful, claimed they weren’t executing what they practiced, and noted that they were not heeding the instructions given to them. It became evident that Martin consistently believed the blame lay with others.
Following the draw with Falkirk, he brought up the deflected goal scored by Falkirk and the artificial pitch they played on. After the defeat to Sturm Graz on Thursday night, he fixated on a mishandled throw-in that resulted in a goal against Rangers. “Someone failed to fulfill their responsibilities,” he remarked.
Excuses poured out like lava. However, he notably failed to include himself in the blame. The atmosphere at Ibrox turned harshly against him, with fans booing him both upon entry and exit. When Rangers managed to score a late goal against Livingston, the immediate reaction from supporters was to call for Martin’s departure. The sentiment was decidedly unkind.
When a team wins yet supporters still desire your removal, returning from that position is nearly impossible. His tenure lasted only 17 matches. While that number may seem small, it carries significant weight in Old Firm dynamics. Managers in this league face scrutiny from early on. Gordon Strachan once recalled how he faced calls for his dismissal after a preseason friendly before beginning his first season with Celtic.
The pressure mounted against Martin as fan disappointment grew. A considerable number of Rangers supporters hardly gave him a chance, and even those who did seemed to do so with reluctance.
From the very first day, he found himself in a difficult position. Many fans regarded him as a controversial choice, believing he exuded an air of superiority. He referred to Rangers as a project that would require a medium to long-term approach, while the supporters were eager to understand how improvements could be achieved immediately.
For over a dozen years, they had faced humiliation at the hands of Celtic, and even if Martin’s call for patience was reasonable, it also came across as somewhat naive. He had to secure victories or at least demonstrate that progress was being made. Unfortunately, he managed to do neither of these.
Martin recounted an exchange with a club staff member who believed "the tanker was turning around." He enthusiastically shared this sentiment in interviews, which might have been justifiable if it had reflected reality, but the results clearly proved otherwise.
From the outset, tension was palpable. He chose to exclude the team captain, James Tavernier, believing that the loanee Max Aarons was a better fit for the right-back position. This decision led to a reversal. He also omitted his top performer, Nico Raskin, from the squad and took far too long to mend their discord.
These decisions might have been overlooked if the team had been winning, but they struggled significantly. Reports revealed that the new ownership had invested a net total of £20 million over the summer to build this squad, with close to £40 million spent gross.
The financial figures were astonishing. Martin faced the consequences, yet he was not responsible for signing the players or for investing considerable sums, particularly by Scottish standards, into players with questionable past performances at best.
Kevin Thelwell, the sporting director, alongside chief executive Patrick Stewart, was responsible for these transactions. Following the defeat to Sturm Graz on Thursday, they found themselves facing an irate supporter at a hotel.
Thelwell is now enlisting his son, Robbie, to take on the role of head of recruitment. Additionally, Nathan Fisher, another former associate of Thelwell at Everton, will be joining as head scout. They are diving into a realm filled with frustration. There is a sense of dysfunction looming over Ibrox.
With Martin's departure, it is anticipated that Thelwell Sr. and Stewart will be in the crosshairs in the upcoming weeks and months. Until now, Martin has acted as a shield, an easy target for criticism, but while he attracted a lot of negativity, no Rangers supporter truly believes that the club's issues originated solely from him.
As yet another manager departs, the club is once more venturing into the market to seek a new leader who can promote a different vision. They need to make the right choice, though that sentiment was expressed the last time. And the time before that.
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