‘they Need To Drop Their Egos’: Russell Martin Slams Rangers Players After Draw

Russell Martin accused his players of having nan incorrect mentality aft watching his Rangers broadside being held to a tie erstwhile Emmanuel Longelo drove location an 87th-minute equaliser for Motherwell.

“I deliberation we were fortunate to get a point,” said nan erstwhile Southampton manager, who was appointed by Rangers successful June. “Motherwell played great, we were obscurity adjacent wherever we request to be, I’m highly disappointed and wounded by that.

“I’ve said to nan players … location is simply a default present astatine this shot club, to revert to type … erstwhile it’s going really well, everyone’s each successful … erstwhile it’s not going well, you protect yourself a small bit, self-preservation.

“You person to beryllium each in, each nan time. We had excessively galore connected nan transportation coming who conscionable did what they wanted to do. When you want to conscionable jog around, there’s a large problem. Some of them person to driblet their ego. I’ll look astatine america tactically and judge my work [but] coming wasn’t really tactical, it was a mentality problem. We sewage much than we deserved today.”

The equaliser from Emmanuel Longelo near Rangers head Russell Martin captious of his players afterwards. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA

Yet it was Rangers who started brightest, pinch location goalkeeper Calum Ward palming a 25-yard free-kick from skipper James Tavernier astir a station successful nan 4th minute, and Kieran Dowell heading Joe Rothwell’s area complete nan crossbar. Attacker Djeidi Gassama, who started successful spot of Findlay Curtis successful nan only alteration from Wednesday’s tie pinch Panathinaikos successful Athens, coiled a changeable wide aft taking a walk from Brazilian striker Danilo, who past clipped nan barroom pinch a changeable from 25 yards.

And it seemed each excessively easy erstwhile Tavernier headed successful a Rothwell transportation to nan backmost station for his 131st Gers’ goal, aft location skipper Paul McGinn had shanked a clearance to concede a corner. But while vulnerable successful attack, nan visitors looked vulnerable successful defence astatine times and successful nan 24th infinitesimal keeper Jack Butland fumbled an effort from an unmarked Longelo, past blocked nan changeable connected nan rebound from striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos.

Both sides were intent connected playing retired from nan backmost and location were galore turnovers but small successful nan measurement of goalmouth action, until Ward made a prevention from Gassama’s header 2 minutes aft nan interval. Minutes later, Callum Slattery’s whipped-in free-kick, aft he had been fouled by Tavernier, recovered Elijah Just astatine nan backmost station but he could not power his header.

Motherwell grew successful assurance and caller boss, Jens Berthel Askou, – a erstwhile teammate of Martin astatine Norwich – saw Butland make a diving prevention from McGinn’s debased thrust aft nan defender had burst into nan box, pinch John Souttar completing nan clearance. Stamatelopoulos headed complete from conscionable nether nan barroom and then, pinch 3 minutes remaining, Longelo burst into nan container and erstwhile nan shot was cleared, Johnny Koutroumbis returned it into nan area, Just chested it back, and Longelo drilled it debased past Butland for a well-deserved equaliser. And only a good Butland prevention successful added clip from substitute Tom Sparrow prevented a defeat.

The Kilmarnock head Stuart Kettlewell lamented a “really soft” reddish paper for George Stanger arsenic his broadside fto a two-goal lead gaffe successful a 2-2 location tie pinch Livingston. A double salvo from Djenairo Daniels and David Watson successful nan closing stages of nan first half had put nan hosts connected people for victory.

Stanger was sent disconnected for denying a goal-scoring opportunity by tugging nan garment of erstwhile Kilmarnock guardant Robbie Muirhead, who scored nan resulting penalty, earlier nan visitors capitalised connected their extra-man advantage erstwhile Scott Pittman equalised successful nan 86th minute.

“I do person complaints astir nan reddish card,” said Kettlewell. “From my angle, from nan method area, I really felt that Muirhead had nan first propulsion connected George. If we deem some pulls nan same, past is nan foul earlier successful nan incident?

“But moreover astatine that, is George’s interaction capable for Muirhead to spell down successful nan manner that he does? Is it a reddish card? We’ll each statement it, immoderate will deliberation it is. I astir apt beryllium successful nan campy of it being soft, I consciousness it’s really, really soft.”