Rangers endured another disappointing defeat on the road.
Following Rangers’ draw against Motherwell on opening day, Russell Martin suggested that a “mentality problem” was the root cause of his team’s struggles, rather than tactical deficiencies.
Two months on, a dispiriting sense of déjà vu permeated Martin’s post-match analysis after Thursday’s disjointed 2-1 Europa League defeat, as the Rangers head coach seemingly absolved tactics for the outcome.
“It’s mentality, not a technical or tactical problem,” Martin reiterated.
For Rangers, it was another game, another Groundhog Day.
The on-field action is becoming predictably underwhelming, and Martin’s assessments carry a similar air of inevitability.
The sluggish starts and defensive lapses that allowed Sturm Graz to seize control of this Europa League tie have been dissected exhaustively by players, pundits, and fans alike.
The underlying issue remains clear: there is a problem at Ibrox, evidenced by weekly protests and a concerning record of five wins in 16 games.
The question is: for how much longer can Rangers and Martin rely on the same script and expect a different result?
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Despite the small step forward represented by the weekend’s Scottish Premiership win at Livingston, Rangers appear stuck in the starting blocks.
In Austria, they had an opportunity to build momentum and strengthen the case for their head coach, who remains under intense scrutiny.
Instead, a poor throw-in from James Tavernier was capitalized upon by Dimitri Lavalee, who found Maurice Malone, before Tomi Horvat applied the finishing touch. Just seven minutes had elapsed.
If that was a defensive lapse, the second goal was a full-blown calamity.
A high defensive line at a deep free-kick was undone by a precise through ball, leaving Jack Butland red-faced for the second time in the first half.
“Schoolboy stuff,” commented former Rangers right-back Alan Hutton.
According to Martin, these mistakes stemmed from the Ibrox side’s mentality, and were unrelated to their setup, system, or style.
“The difference from the first half-hour to the next 60 minutes was too far apart really,” the head coach stated. “It’s concentration, it’s mentality.”
“I’m frustrated because we give away two poor goals, soft goals. We did so much work on them recently, we were just not alive.”
“We hurt ourselves because they didn’t create anything from open play. It’s hurtful and frustrating.”
Rangers limped to half-time, at which point the complexion of the game shifted.
Jayden Meghoma and Oliver Antman were replaced by Max Aarons and Bojan Miovski in substitutions that were far from straightforward.
This meant Derek Cornelius shifted to left-back, with Tavernier moving to centre-back. Despite raising eyebrows on paper, the changes had a positive impact on the pitch.
Showing renewed energy – albeit not the domination Martin alluded to – Djeidi Gassama deservedly pulled a goal back for Rangers.
But, as has often been the case this season, the architects of their own downfall did not attempt a recovery until the damage was already done.
“We were naive and found ourselves down at 2-0, then we were chasing the game,” Cornelius told TNT Sports.
“We didn’t start well, I don’t know what the problem is. It seems like there’s moments where everyone is switched on and tuned in and then it can switch, I don’t know why.”
“We can’t be accepting of that. We can’t be like this. We need to react.”
David: Just go. It’s just absolute drivel every time Martin opens his mouth. He must be watching different games to everyone else. Totally delusional.
Steve: There is clearly a disconnect between the manager and the players. If they can’t implement simple tactics such as how to correctly defend a throw-in, then something is badly wrong.
Robert: Martin has to go before this is allowed to get any worse. I don’t even get surprised anymore at Rangers losing, its becoming the norm. Next home match attendance will be interesting.
Stewart: Real leaders don’t blame their men. For too long Martin has ignored his very open tactics when looking at a match. He has to leave. Defending is part of football. He clearly does not coach it.
Sandra: What on earth was that waffle in the post-match interview? Dreadful and totally demoralising.
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