Russell Martin rages at Rangers flops - 'too much ego, self-preservation and selfish decisions'

James Tavernier’s first-half header looked like getting Martin off to a winning start in the league only for Well to claim a deserved equaliser through Emmanuel Longelo three minutes from time.

Martin admitted his team barely deserved a draw, never mind a victory, and warned those players who can’t get on board with his style that they wouldn’t have a future at the club.

It was a third season in a row in which Rangers have dropped points on the opening day and Martin felt he had inherited a mentality problem that has debilitated the team under previous managers for several years now.

He said: “I’m very disappointed and it hurts a lot the stuff I saw. I said to the players in there that the problems haven’t been tactical yet, really.

“They've been mentality; that energy, that courage, the intensity, and aggression to play. Every time we get into the final third, we turn the ball over. They’re either selfish decisions or they’re based on anxiety. So we need to get to the bottom of that. Because there was far too much stuff that we haven't worked on or haven't seen before.

“We have too many guys that slip into self-preservation mode. And I think it's been a factor that's been there for the last few years, for sure. So, when it's going well, you're all in. You want to run, you want the ball. It's nice.

“But when it’s not going well, you don't want to run so much. You pick and choose when you want to compete and mark your player from a throw-in or a corner.

“You pick and choose when to run back. And that’s unacceptable at this club. Too much ego, too much self-preservation. You're either all-in all the time or you're not. And if you're not, you just won't play very much.

“I completely understand the supporters’ reaction. We have a point that we didn't deserve. I was as angry as they were. I've said from day one, I'm not going to try and play any game. I'm going to be really honest with them about certain things.”

Food for thought

Martin admitted the performance would give him plenty of food for thought ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League qualifying tie against Viktoria Plzen at Ibrox.

He added: “[Changes] won't be personal. It’ll be about what we think is best for the team in terms of energy, freshness, and players in certain positions who want to take the ball.

“So, I'm sure if we make some changes for Tuesday, which I'm undecided on - unfortunately I'll have to watch that back a few times and pick out what we really want to take from it – it won't be highlighting one or two single people. It'll be from what we think is best for the team.”

Martin still hopes to make further additions to the squad but was coy on reports that Rangers are about to complete the £3m signing of Go Ahead Eagles winger Oliver Antman.

But he felt that those players currently at the club could still remain a part of his plans if they show a desire to adapt.

He added: “We need some better players to help us, for sure. We need some players that we feel will do what we're asking them to do all the time. But the ones who are here are good enough to do it. They just need to make a choice that they want to do it.”

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou felt his team had been well worthy of their point.

He said: “I said to the players I was very disappointed on their behalf that they didn’t get the win at the end because we did everything we could to get it.”