Rangers legend issues damning assessment of Russell Martin as he declares Ibrox 'apathy' a huge concern
Ibrox hero reckons it could be the end of the road for Russell Martin after defeat to Genk in opening Europa League tie
Ally McCoist believes Rangers fans have every right to feel disillusioned by what they are seeing from their team at present, admitting he can’t see any way back now for head coach Russell Martin.
The Ibrox side’s horrendous start to the season continue on Thursday night as former Celtic striker Oh Hyeon-gyu’s second half strike helped Belgian outfit Genk to a narrow Europa League win at Ibrox.
Rangers’ task was made even harder following Mohamed Diomande’s first-half dismissal for a reckless challenge, but they were second best for large spells of the contest, with the visitors missing a host of chances to make the margin of score line more comfortable.
And Rangers all-time leading goal scorer McCoist packed no punches in his post-match analysis of the game by declaring the atmosphere inside the stadium was a far cry from what Ibrox is usually like on a European night.
“Absolutely, of course they are,” McCoist replied when asked if supporters are right to voice their frustrations at Martin. “They've got every right to. They're totally justified in being disappointed with what they're seeing because it clearly hasn't been good enough and it isn't good enough.
“Tonight was another disappointment. You can point to the red card - a deserved red card - but it goes deeper than that. The level of performances haven't been good enough.
“I just felt coming into the stadium tonight, and you could have blown me away. It was nothing, nothing like a normal atmosphere of any game, never mind a European game here at Ibrox.
“There was an apathy, there was no life about the place actually on or off the pitch, which is really, really concerning.
“Listen the manager is in trouble because something has to change and something has to change dramatically. On the current evidence, sadly, I can't see it happening.”
McCoist slaughters ‘cop out’ penalty decision
McCoist was also critical of Slovenian referee Matej Jug for his decision to award Rangers a free-kick rather than a penalty after James Tavernier’s header in the box struck the arm of Joris Kayembe.
The whistle reviewed a potential handball on the VAR pitch side monitor before calling over both captains and signalling for a free-kick instead in Kayembe’s favour after ruling that Tavernier had pushed his opponent before the alleged handball.
It was a call that McCoist initially questioned before later suggesting a need for change in the rules.
Reacting to the incident live on air in his role as a co-commentator on TNT Sports, McCoist said: “He is going to give it. It’s not a handball, man. Does it hit his arm, yes. I’m a firm believer we have to get the word deliberate in there. There is absolutely no way on this earth that is anything like deliberate.”
Dissecting the flashpoint again post-match, a baffled McCoist went on: “I would actually call that a cop out, that’s the biggest cop out you’ll see all night. He’s copped out, the referee.
“He knows he should give a penalty on current form and laws of the game so he has probably invented a shove there, taken the easy way out. I would have had more respect for the referee if he had just said, ‘I am not giving a penalty for handball’.”