Russell Martin has insisted he will not resign despite Rangers suffering a 2-0 defeat to Hearts at Ibrox, leaving the club without a win in their first five Premiership matches. The atmosphere turned toxic early on, with fans chanting for Nicolas Raskin, the Belgian midfielder left out of the squad amid a dispute with the manager. Lawrence Shankland scored twice, including a rebound after his penalty was saved, to secure Hearts' first win at Ibrox in 11 years and send them top of the table.
Rangers' worst league start in 47 years leaves them 10th in the table, and supporters sang 'you're getting sacked in the morning' towards Martin. However, when asked directly if he would resign, Martin replied: 'No.' He acknowledged the fans' frustration but said: 'The fans are entitled to their opinion so I can't come out here and criticise that.'
Martin admitted the players are struggling with anxiety in a difficult environment, saying: '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.' He stressed the need to support the new signings and improve performances, but when asked if he still had the board's backing, he said: 'I don't know. We'll see, won't we? They've been great up until now. All of them. So we'll see.'
Hearts manager Derek McInnes expressed empathy for Martin, calling the treatment 'unfair' and saying: 'He is a fine man, he's a fine manager and when results don't always come, at clubs, especially clubs this size, it's more than just the manager for me.'
