Unwanted record
On Sunday evening, Rangers officially announced that they had parted ways with head coach Russell Martin. “While all transition periods require some time, results have not met the club’s expectations,” stated a message on the club’s website. “Russell and his coaching staff have worked exceptionally hard during their time at the club. We thank them for their efforts and wish them the best in their future endeavors.” The announcement also noted the departures of assistant head coach Matt Gill and first team coach Mike Williamson.
Although changes in management are not typically surprising, Martin’s exit from Rangers seemed inevitable, as many fans had been calling for it for a considerable time. Since taking over in the summer to replace Philippe Clement, Martin managed to secure only five victories out of his first 17 matches with the Glasgow team. Following a lackluster 1-1 draw with Falkirk on Sunday, which left his squad in eighth place and a mere four points above the bottom of the Scottish Premiership, the club clearly felt it was time to end Martin’s tenure.
While Martin will likely want to forget his disappointing record on the pitch, another statistic may haunt him for a while. With only 17 games coached at the club, Martin’s term in Glasgow lasted a mere 122 days, marking the shortest tenure for a full-time, permanent manager in Rangers’ 153-year history.
In comparing Martin’s tenure to the club’s history of management, it falls significantly short of Paul Le Guen’s 186 days in charge. Additionally, Martin’s term is less than Pedro Caixinha’s ill-fated 229-day management in 2017. Notably, Martin’s average of 1.24 points per game pales in comparison to Le Guen’s (1.77), Caixinha’s (1.81), and Clement’s (2.09), indicating that he was not the right fit for the role.
