Russell Martin bites back at Rangers resignation question in fiery post-Hearts presser amid 'scared' admission

On their worst run of domestic form for 47 years after losing 2-0 to Hearts in the Premiership, Rangers sit in tenth place with four points and no wins, with Martin’s overall record just three victories from 12 matches.

A poisonous Ibrox was laced with cries from Rangers fans for Martin “to get to ****”, while at the end of the game, a rendition of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” was sung by those fans that remained in the stadium.

An ashen-faced Martin faced the media half-an-hour after full-time and steadfastly refused to resign - while saying some Rangers fans “didn’t want him here in the first place” and that they are entitled to their opinion.

He also claimed that Hearts’ opening goal from Lawrence Shankland should not have been allowed to stand for handball, that the penalty awarded against his team was soft and that Thelo Aasgaard did not foul goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow in the build-up to a disallowed goal.

In a grilling from media inside the press room, Martin was asked flat out if he would resign. “No,” was his response. When it was put to him that the fans have made it quite clear that they don’t want him as Rangers head coach, Martin replied: “I don't think many of them wanted me here in the first place.”

He added: “Yeah, they [the fans] are entitled to their opinion. They're entitled to their opinion, so I can't come out here and criticise that. Yeah, the fans are always entitled to their opinion.”

Martin has his say on Rangers players

It was put to Martin that there are no signs of progress on the pitch from his team, and he was asked how he can turn it around. “Yeah, we have a lot of new guys in there,” he said. “We have a lot of players trying to feel their way in an environment that's really difficult to feel their way into their Rangers career. Really, really difficult.

“So we just have to make sure they're alright as human beings first and improve their performance. We're on the side of three poor decisions in my opinion. It's a handball for their first goal. Our goal is a goal. It's not a foul on the goalkeeper. And then Dio says he makes no contact. It's why it took so long.

“And we should have scored. We should have scored two or three. It was 1-0. We should have. But there's anxiety at the moment. The players are not the same team we see in training on Thursday and Friday when they go out and play in this environment right now. And that's not a criticism of anyone. So, to your emotion and your anger, I get it. I understand it. But we have to just keep working.”

Martin said he was not anticipating immediate talks with the Rangers hierarchy and probed if he thought the board’s support of him may change after the events of Saturday afternoon, the 39-year-old replied: “I don't know. We'll see, won't we? They've been great up until now. All of them. So we'll see.”

On the vociferous abuse he is taking from the Rangers crowd, Martin said: “It is what it is. It doesn't affect me personally. Professionally it's difficult because we need the team to play in a certain way that requires certain things.

“And it's really difficult when the atmosphere is how it is. It's aimed towards me, not towards them. I'm trying to say that to them. It should hopefully take a bit off them at some point. But it is what it is. We'll keep working until I'm told not to. And we have to start winning.”

Some of the players ‘look scared’

Martin admitted that his players look “scared” and gave a scathing response to a question that queried his formation and tactics.

“That's not tactics, mate,” Martin said. “You've just said it yourself. They're scared. If we were producing the tactics all the time and we work on in training, it's what I just said to you. We see a very different team in training to then the game.

“You only see the outcome of the end of the week. I've not been happy with the performance. I'm not sat here and said to you I'm really happy with the performance. I don't lie to you. I don't come out here and lie. I've not been happy with the level of performance. But also, it's my job to work out why. It's not a big tactical problem. The problems are the emotion, managing anxiety and psychological. So we have to try and work that out and we have to maybe simplify it even more.”

Rangers’ next match is against Hibs in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals next weekend, back at Ibrox.