Russell Martin has insisted he will not resign despite Rangers suffering their worst league start in 47 years after a 2-0 defeat by Hearts at Ibrox. The result leaves Rangers without a win in their first five Premiership matches, languishing in 10th place.
Rangers fans turned on Martin early in the match, chanting for midfielder Nicolas Raskin, who was left out of the squad amid a dispute with the manager. Lawrence Shankland scored the opener in the 22nd minute and later added a second after his penalty was saved by Jack Butland, securing Hearts' first win at Ibrox in 11 years.
When asked after the match if he would resign, Martin simply replied: 'No.' He acknowledged the fans' frustration, saying: 'The fans are entitled to their opinion so I can’t come out here and criticise that.' Martin added that the hostile atmosphere is making it difficult for new players to adapt.
Martin also admitted he is unsure whether he still has the support of the board, stating: 'I don’t know. We’ll see, won’t we? They’ve been great up until now.' He described his players as 'scared' and said the atmosphere is aimed at him, not the team.
Hearts manager Derek McInnes expressed empathy for Martin, calling the treatment 'so unfair on a manager' and noting that results at big clubs are about more than just the manager.
