Russell Martin says Rangers players are ‘scared’ after Hearts defeat, prompting scrutiny of recruitment

Rangers manager Russell Martin said his players were "scared" after Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Hearts, a blunt assessment that has intensified questions about recruitment and the roles of sporting director Kevin Thelwell and chief executive Patrick Stewart.

The loss at Ibrox — and the vocal reaction from supporters — has left the club’s hierarchy under fresh scrutiny as critics and former players insist problems run deeper than the head coach. Hearts led through two Lawrence Shankland goals and controlled large parts of the match, a performance that drew praise from Hearts manager Derek McInnes, who said it was not only the manager who should be examined when results go badly.

Martin’s comments — that handling anxiety and psychological pressure had become an issue for his squad — came amid growing impatience at Ibrox. Fans were audible in their displeasure during and after the match, and the atmosphere contributed to a sense that the team is struggling to cope with expectation. The manager has repeatedly stressed that psychological resilience and the ability to handle noise and scrutiny are important attributes for players at a club of Rangers’ stature.

The reaction has turned attention to the recruitment process that built the current squad. Several recent signings started on the bench or were substituted early on Saturday: Max Aarons and Joe Rothwell, both seen as summer-first choices, were left out of the starting XI; Oliver Antman, a sizable signing reportedly in the region of £4 million, was also benched. Defender Nasser Djiga was replaced at half-time by Derek Cornelius after a difficult first half, and Mikey Moore was taken off at the break. Youssef Chermiti made his first appearance as a substitute, a move that revived scrutiny over the club’s reported near-£10 million commitment to a 21-year-old with limited senior minutes and few goals to his name. Djeidi Gassama and Thelo Aasgaard were among the few players to receive more favourable mentions for their performance.

Thelwell, who joined from Wolves and Everton previously, has so far been publicly supportive of Martin. Earlier this month the sporting director appeared on Rangers TV to back the manager and outlined a vision of football characterised by dominance, ball control and aggressive pressing — traits he said characterized Martin’s teams at previous clubs. Saturday’s game, however, featured an opposition that pressed strongly, closed spaces and out-worked Rangers for large periods, prompting questions about whether the current squad matches the profile Thelwell vowed to assemble.

Former Hearts midfielder and current manager Derek McInnes praised his players’ workrate and said Rangers’ issues could not be blamed solely on the manager. "It has to be about more than just the manager when results are going as badly as they are," he said, noting that Hearts’ team followed a clear plan and were prepared for the specific demands of Tynecastle.

Rangers’ hierarchy now faces decisions about whether personnel changes in recruitment and squad construction are needed. Club governance experts and rivals often point to the role of sporting directors and chief executives in long-term performance, arguing that the people who identify, sign and integrate players share responsibility when a squad underperforms. Those responsibilities include not only technical and tactical fit but psychological profiling and the ability to handle pressure at clubs with intense support and expectation.

Analysts point to examples elsewhere in European football where executives have drawn early lines when appointments have not delivered. Bayer Leverkusen’s managing director of sport, Simon Rolfes, has been cited in public discussions as saying that recognising and correcting a mistake early can be fairer than allowing problems to persist. Thelwell and Stewart face a similar moment at Rangers: whether to back the recruitment and squad-building strategy or to change course.

Martin’s position appeared precarious after the match, with growing public calls for change and internal questions over selection and preparation. Club officials have not announced any imminent decisions, and Thelwell has resisted detailed public scrutiny beyond his earlier media appearances in support of Martin.

There is still time in the campaign to alter course. Rangers remain in the early stages of the domestic season, and the club’s board will be weighing the potential consequences of mid-season changes against the longer-term work of reshaping a squad. For now, the debate centers on whether the immediate problem is a manager who cannot motivate the players or a recruitment framework that has delivered a collection of players who have yet to demonstrate they can withstand the pressures associated with playing for Rangers.

Saturday’s defeat and Martin’s subsequent remark that his players are scared have crystallized those questions. How the club answers them — by altering coaching, changing recruitment, or both — will determine whether the season can be salvaged and who will ultimately be held accountable for the team’s performances.