If there was one thing Ibrox Noise wanted to be wrong about, it was Russell Martin. From the start we called him the wrong appointment, and we never wavered. The evidence sat there in plain sight, and for six months we stood by our stance on the former Southampton manager. We didn’t support Martin’s appointment, we didn’t like him, and at best we hoped we were wrong. Ibrox Noise took abuse over protesting Russell Martin.
Abuse
For six months we took abuse for saying it. Fans told us to give him time, to give him a chance. Others outright backed him and hurled worse abuse. We absorbed the criticism, the mockery, the insults. We handled it. It never stopped us sleeping, and it never will. But the sea change now, as the entire support admits Martin is not the right man, shows why we stood firm.
We don’t need apologies for the abuse. People resist being wrong, especially about something they desperately want to be right. Fans didn’t want Martin to fail, so they hated hearing us repeat that he would. But the truth always stood there. Martin was the wrong man. Now (almost) every fan agrees. Even those who clung to the idea of giving him time have turned.
Give him time
A handful still say give him time. Yes, unbelievably. We cannot imagine what they base that on, but a tiny few hold that line. The overwhelming majority, however, 99% and more, say enough is enough. They want him gone. They want someone who knows how to manage Rangers.
We did tell you so, and we hate saying it. But more importantly, the board should have listened and not cheaped out. They didn’t. They wasted another Rangers season. This campaign has collapsed into one of the worst in Rangers history. Worse than Pedro, worse than Murty, even worse than Warburton’s SPL struggles. Even worse than Barry. And Ibrox Noise took abuse over protesting Russell Martin.
Rangers deserve better. The fans deserve better. And Russell Martin is the wrong man.