RUSSELL MARTIN has told raging Rangers fans that he can’t turn the club round without there being some pain – and promised he will have his toiling team ready to compete this season.
The Ibrox outfit scraped a 1-1 draw with Dundee at home thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from substitute James Tavernier – the Dens Park side’s first point in Govan since 2001 – after seeing centre-back Nasser Djiga sent off on the hour.
Cyriel Dessers did have a 97th minute effort disallowed for offside after a VAR check, but there were loud boos around the ground in the wake of an encounter that brought no lack of anger and unhappiness from the stands.
Head coach Martin, who saw the league campaign begin last weekend with a draw at Motherwell, admitted his side lacked aggression and showed too much tension, but he opted not to read the riot act the way he did at Fir Park.
Russell Martin has warned Rangers fans there is no quick fix for their team
Dundee’s Drey Wright brings down Djeidi Gassama for Rangers’ penalty
Instead, he urged fans already threatening to turn on him that he knew afternoons like yesterday would come and is positive the experience will result in his players becoming stronger.
‘It’s a bit of pain and, when you get through that pain, it’s so worth it,’ said Martin, who is set to lose Djiga for the first Old Firm game of the season if Rangers progress to the Champions League play-off round and postpone their August 24 meeting with St Mirren.
‘I don’t think I expected anything less coming here.
‘It’s not going to be a quick fix. This club has not had success for a long, long time. I’ve been asked about the supporters’ reaction and I just don’t have a problem because I understand it.
‘We are at a point now, at this club, where something needed to change. The ownership has changed, there’s a new coaching staff, there’s new players. There’s hopefully a new way of behaving in the training ground – properly every single day, regarding standards and what’s expected at this football club. This is not me coming out and making excuses.
‘I think we change the manager from year to year and nothing really changes, so, now, it’s about really changing the culture and the feel of the club day in and day out. That will end up in a good outcome.
Dundee defender Ryan Astley celebrates after giving Dundee the lead at Ibrox
‘Good process, good people, will always end up in a good outcome – but maybe not so quickly as everyone wants.
‘This year, we’ll be ready to compete, we’ll be ready to win a lot. We’re two games in in the league, and it’s a long, long season. We had a great night on Tuesday (against Viktoria Plzen). I didn’t get too excited or high about that. And we had a tough afternoon, a disappointing one for a few reasons today. And I’m not going to get too low about that. My job is to make sure the players understand why.
‘I’m convinced this team will grow and grow, but it’s not going to be without pain. It’s impossible after how long this team hasn’t had success that it can come without any short-term pain.’
There was anger shortly after Ryan Astley had given Dundee the lead in the second half when the removal of Lyall Cameron for Nicolas Raskin was jeered by fans. There was even more venom directed at the dugout when Kieran Dowell replaced Mohamed Diomande moments later.
Rangers winger Oliver Antman is dejected at full-time after the 1-1 draw with Dundee
‘Yeah, that surprised me,’ said Martin, the first Rangers boss to start the league season without a win from his first two games since Graeme Souness in 1989.
‘I don’t really know what the narrative is around Kieran. I don’t think it helps him, I don’t think it helps the rest of the guys.
‘ I’m disappointed for Kieran. He’s a really good footballer. He really, really tries every day, trains like an absolute beast, which I don’t think, some people have come to this club and been bought for a lot of money have done. I hope Kieran gets a chance to show what he can do.’
Martin, however, did concede that his side needs to show more aggression – particularly against teams who play with a low block.
‘I’m disappointed. When a team sits back, the ball needs to do all the work. It needs to move so quickly from side to side, wait for the gaps,’ he said.
‘We need to tackle, try to penetrate a bit more, a few more runs, put it in the box more. We didn’t see that really until we went down to 10 men.
‘I think Nico Raskin tackled more in the last half-hour than the whole team in the first 60 minutes. The lack of aggression comes from a bit of tension. It’s not a question about the lads’ mentality today.
‘They only had a few set-plays and we have to do much better.
‘It was a good learning for us today. About a team that comes and sits back and what’s really, really important. The guys will be better for it.
Dundee manager Steven Pressley gives instructions from the sidelines
‘I’m not going to go too hard after that. My focus is on improving and I’m convinced with what I see, especially in the last 20 minutes with the reaction of the players. They’ll grow and they’ll keep getting better.’
‘That will make sure the players understand what’s really important when we face this kind of set-up and approach. Dundee were really well organised but we didn’t do enough to move them, to disrupt them.
‘We’ll learn a lot from that tactically and what’s really important – shedding some tension. Don’t be afraid to lose the ball, risk the ball.
‘Sometimes, against a lower block, you have the best chance of scoring when losing the ball and hunting it back really, really quickly when there’s a bit of organised chaos.’
Dundee defender Luke Graham tracks Rangers winger Oliver Antman
Martin also insisted he believes he has enough leaders within his squad to turn things round.
‘Yeah, and I think we’ll add to that as well. It’s not necessarily leadership, it’s about personality,’ he said. ‘I don’t really have a worry about that, because the culture we’ve created will enable them to do that. I think we’ll add one or two that actually help that as well.’
Dundee boss Steven Pressley, meanwhile, admitted he was heartbroken for his players after a supremely disciplined display.
‘The club, since 2001, haven’t picked up a point here, so we needed an incredible performance, we needed luck, and I think the players delivered that,’ said Pressley.
‘They were exceptional. I said to them in the dressing room I could have cried for them at the end there. They left every last ounce out on the pitch, they showed the courage that I spoke about, so, of course, I am exceptionally proud. They were amazing. I thought we deserved more.’
