Russell Martin was sacked by Southampton after a 5-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur last December
Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland
Russell Martin is, according to some, on the brink of becoming the next Rangers manager. Others say a deal is still some way off.
Some would have you believe other candidates are still very much in the frame.
No wonder Rangers fans don’t know what to believe but a section among them don’t seem overly enthused by the prospect of former MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton boss Martin taking charge.
Many are presumably unconvinced by his English Premier League experience last term, which led to his sacking and Southampton’s eventual relegation.
However, that view does ignore the work done in getting into England’s top flight and the increasing evidence to support the idea that the transition from the Championship to the top tier is an ever-expanding bridge to navigate.
So, what could Rangers expect on the pitch if Martin takes charge and are there parallels with former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou?
What’s his style of play?
Martin himself told the BBC’s Match of the Day last month that a key element of taking on any job would be “how the style of play will fit” and “how convinced the ownership and people in charge are with how we do things.”
That seems to suggest he retains faith in his philosophy.
Football coach and analyst John Walker has undertaken extensive analysis of Martin’s managerial career and believes many people misunderstand his style.
“I think there’s a misconception of it being very passive in possession for possessions sake,” he told BBC Scotland.
“To me, anytime I’ve watched MK Dons, Swansea or Southampton – more the latter in the Championship – it was actually really forward attacking play.
“It was very fast forward. It wasn’t too dissimilar, though not the exact same in patterns, to Postecoglou’s Celtic.
“That’s probably why I’m such a champion for him taking over Rangers because I believe it’s a style of football, with aggression, that can work in Scotland.”
Ironically, it was in the aftermath of a 5-0 drubbing by Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur that Martin was sacked by Southampton.
His next game in the dugout could come with Rangers.
Is Martin too reliant on one approach?
A reluctance to adapt is an accusation Postecoglou and Martin both share. But the latter’s former Norwich City team-mate, Angus Gunn, would dispute that.
Gunn came up against Martin’s Southampton team in the English Championship en route to, what turned into, their unsuccessful return to the Premier League.
“They were a tough team,” the Scotland goalkeeper said. “We had a couple of good games against them. One was 4-4, one was 1-1, so quite contrasting.
“When we first played them they were quite open. Then when we played them again, they were a little bit pragmatic and I think that shows a coach that can adapt and change the way his team plays.
“Watching his teams over the few years that he was there, I thought he did that even though some people probably said that he was reluctant to change a lot.
“I thought he did that quite well, especially in the Championship.”
The narrative around the former Scotland defender, particularly with Southampton in the Premier League, was that he was too stubborn and needed to adapt.
The former Rangers defender’s response was firm.
“There is a difference between being stubborn and having conviction,” he told BBC Sport. “If you really believe in something as a coach, manager, leader, then the logic for me is that you stick with it and try to be better at it.”
It suggests the principles of Martin’s approach won’t deviate, if he gets the Ibrox job.
Squad overhaul required to suit style?
It seems there will be a significant, if not seismic, change in squad personnel at Rangers, with fresh funds available after the takeover led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises.
But just how big would that need to be to allow Martin to implement his ideas?
Walker believes wholesale change is required at Rangers, but insists Martin would be unfazed by such a task.
“I don’t think many of the players that are currently there will survive,” Walker said. “When he went into Swansea, I think they had 18 players leave over the summer so they had to make 17 signings.
“When he went into Southampton there were 20 people wanting to leave.
“So he’s got experience of building a squad and almost instantly implementing the style of play. I would expect a massive squad overhaul if he comes in.
“I think with the style of play, you’re going to also experience teething problems, a lot of goals conceded to start with.
“I think the exciting part will be there’ll be lots of goals for Rangers.”
