Russell Martin’s eighth match of a Rangers reign already riddled with doubts veered close to a living nightmare. Championship promotion races and playoffs, the ill winds of struggling in the Premier League have nothing on the fever-dream pressures of trying to turn around an ailing Glaswegian giant.
Martin may be the true believer in his processes but in an environment where snap decisions are often sustained, he will not have long to set them in place. “I think the precursor to change is pain,” he said after an agonising night for Rangers fans. “I knew coming here that there was going to be some pain early on.”
The likelihood of Rangers playing Champions League football rather than Europa League this season is only an outside chance following a first-half performance of rank ineptitude. The tone and probably the two‑leg tie were set by a horrible opening 20 minutes in which three soft goals were conceded.
Until improvement in the second half offered crumbs of redemption, Martin’s chances of bending one of football’s haughtiest, venerable institutions to his blue-sky thinking looked ever more bleak.
Christos Tzolis, reportedly high on Crystal Palace’s list should Eberechi Eze depart, was Brugge’s danger man, the veteran Hans Vanaken was the roving playmaker. They did not need long to hit their straps, aided by the negligence of their opponents.
Ibrox had initially backed its men. Europa League qualification banked, Rangers began their task positively. But only briefly. In the third minute came one of those moments scarring Martin’s reputation. Within seconds of their striker Danilo shooting, Rangers were a goal down. The rebound reached Tzolis, the onward ball caught Nasser Djiga dozing with goalkeeper Jack Butland stranded. Romeo Vermant’s finish was exquisite, if granted the freedom of Govan. “That changes the whole feeling of the game,” Martin said. “Then we make so many decisions out of anxiety.”
To compound disaster, Rangers’ malfunctioning zonal marking allowed Jorne Spileers to stroke home Vermant’s corner four minutes later. By the 20th minute, more disaster, Brandon Mechele celebrating his 500th Brugge appearance by seizing on a loose ball, drilling home unchallenged. Such grim, ugly exposure sent fans barrelling for the exits.
Whatever Martin is attempting, such moments surely decimate his chances of long-term survival. Never in 61 years of European football had a Rangers team fallen so far behind so quickly.
Nicky Hayen, the Brugge coach, was at nearby Haverfordwest while Martin managed Championship Swansea in the 2021-22 season. In 2025, the gulf between their teams during the first 45 minutes was aching. The fans’ half-time reaction was rancorous and Rangers players at least returned with higher energy.
Their grain of hope soon arrived. Jayden Meghoma, debuting on loan from Brentford – the captain, James Tavernier, having been benched – supplied Danilo for a close-range finish. Finally positivity reinjected by the attacking football Martin evangelises. “We need to give the supporters more moments like we did in the second half, really making them feel what’s going to come,” Martin said, still confident in brighter, better days.
Brugge, guarding their advantage, retreated into their shell and looked to have conceded another, Djeidi Gassama forcing home only to be penalised for knocking the ball from Simon Mignolet’s grasp. It looked marginal. “Lucky we had VAR,” the veteran former Liverpool goalkeeper said. That stopped the roof being raised; there would be no comeback.
At least Rangers were improved from that initial farce. Mignolet was the busier goalkeeper as the first leg concluded. Rangers had hardly redeemed themselves yet Martin took heavy positives ahead of the second leg.
“Tonight, the level of resilience the team showed, we will grow a lot from that,” he said. “I really believe that. We have the privilege and the beauty of being in that position of hunting and chasing.”
Even Martin the eternally bullish optimist would recognise that better – much better – must follow if Ibrox is to host the Champions League group stage with him in the dugout.
