Rangers’ draw with Falkirk intensified pressure on Martin, and Sky Sports now report that the ex-Southampton boss has indeed been sacked. The result leaves Rangers languishing in eighth place in the table and a mammoth 11 points behind league leaders Hearts and nine points behind fierce rivals Celtic, having played seven matches. This draw follows a 2-1 defeat by Sturm Graz in the Europa League in midweek. Fans vented their anger by directing chants towards Martin during and after the match, clearly frustrated as Rangers have secured only five wins in his seventeen matches in charge. Martin has maintained that the team is improving, attributing the poor results to factors like difficult pitches and a young squad still developing. However, on Sunday evening, Sky reports that the axe has fallen, and Martin has been put out of his misery.
Rangers said: "Rangers Football Club confirms that it has parted company with Head Coach, Russell Martin.
"While all transition periods require some time, results have not met the club's expectations. Assistant Head Coach, Matt Gill, and First-Team Coach, Mike Williamson, will also be departing.
"Russell and his staff have worked exceptionally hard throughout their time at the club. We thank them for their efforts and wish them well for the future. Further updates from the club will follow in due course."
Martin required the escort after angry Rangers fans gathered outside Falkirk’s stadium after the match, blocking the team bus and expressing their dissatisfaction with Martin's performance as manager. The police intervened to disperse the crowd and ensure the safe departure of players and staff. Martin was escorted from a separate exit and left in a different vehicle.
Following the match, the Rangers boss took time to reflect on his team's performance, he said: "The team, ultimately, is a reflection on me and it has to be better and do better so I need to take responsibility and look at that myself. You'd have to ask the people above me, I feel that the players and the staff are really behind me. I felt really supported by everyone else above me as well, and I can't dictate whether that changes or not. I have to just try to focus on winning football matches, because of what I see every day with the players, how invested they are in it, how hard they run. If I felt any differently, I would feel differently here. It probably wouldn't hurt as much, but I know they're really trying."
Martin began his managerial career at MK Dons, taking over in November 2019. He implemented a possession-based style of play and oversaw a British record 56-pass goal in March 2021. Despite finishing 19th and 13th in League One during his tenure, Swansea City signed him as manager in August 2021 and they finished 15th and 10th in the Championship during his tenure. The Swans achieved a notable league double over rivals Cardiff City in the 21/22 season, a first in the derby's 110-year history.
Martin was then appointed manager of Southampton in June 2023 and led them to Premier League promotion via the play-offs in his first season. However, he was sacked in December 2024 after a poor start to the season. Martin was appointed head coach of Rangers in June 2025 on a three-year deal, and after the announcement his former Scotland and Norwich team-mate Steven Naismith said: "He's got a clear style, a clear identity and that, for me, is massive. Rangers need someone who can understand what they want and can implement it. Russell has done that now at three clubs. Nine times out of 10 in Scotland, Rangers will play against teams sitting in, and it's about breaking them down. I think the philosophy of Russell is all about that. He wants his team to have lots of possession, push the opposition deep and then hurt them."
