Archive October 3, 2025

After Rangers’ opening-day draw at Motherwell, Russell Martin contended that what was undermining his team was “not really tactical, it’s a mentality problem”.

That was two months ago. Yet when he spoke following the haphazard 2-1 Europa League defeat on Thursday, there was a enervating familiarity about how the Rangers head coach explained away the outcome.

“It’s mentality, not a technical or tactical problem,” Martin said.

Another game, another Groundhog Day for Rangers.

What unfolds on the pitch is predictable, while Martin’s assessment has a sense of the inevitable about it too.

There is nothing to be said about the slow start and shoddy defending that allowed Sturm Graz to take command of this Europa League tie that hasn’t already been exhausted by players, pundits and punters alike.

The common denominator is that there is a problem at Ibrox. The weekly protests point to that. The five wins in 16 games make it even more obvious.

Besides the small step on the road to recovery that was the Scottish Premiership win at Livingston at the weekend, Rangers haven’t managed to lose sight of the starting blocks.

In Austria, they had an opportunity to build a bit of momentum and make a case for their head coach, who remains under huge pressure.

Instead, a poor throw-in from James Tavernier was lofted forward by Dimitri Lavalee, controlled by Maurice Malone, and finished by Tomi Horvat. Seven minutes had elapsed.

If that was a defensive mishap, the second goal was a defensive calamity.

A high line at a deep free-kick was sliced open with one delightful daisy-cutter, and a scrambling Jack Butland was left blushing for a second time in the first half.

“Schoolboy stuff,” said former Rangers right-back Alan Hutton.

Two mistakes due to the Ibrox side’s mentality, according to Martin. Nothing to do with their set-up, system or style.

“The difference from the first half-hour to the next 60 minutes was too far apart really,” the head coach said. “It’s concentration, it’s mentality.

“I’m frustrated because we give away two poor goals, soft goals. We did so much work on them recently we were just not alive.

Rangers hirpled on until half-time. Then things changed.

Jayden Meghoma and Oliver Antman were swapped for Max Aarons and Bojan Miovski in what were far from like-for-like changes.

It meant Derek Cornelius was shunted to left-back, with Tavernier at centre-back. Eye-popping on paper, positive on the pitch.

With a new lease of life about them – though not quite the domination Martin suggested – Djeidi Gassama deservedly hauled one back for Rangers.

But as has been the case so often this season, the architects of their own downfall didn’t attempt to recover until the damage was done.

“We were naive and found ourselves down at 2-0, then we were chasing the game,” Cornelius told TNT Sports.

“We didn’t start well, I don’t know what the problem is. It seems like there’s moments where everyone is switched on and tuned in and then it can switch, I don’t know why.

David: Just go. It’s just absolute drivel every time Martin opens his mouth. He must be watching different games to everyone else. Totally delusional.

Steve: There is clearly a disconnect between the manager and the players. If they can’t implement simple tactics such as how to correctly defend a throw-in, then something is badly wrong.

Robert: Martin has to go before this is allowed to get any worse. I don’t even get surprised anymore at Rangers losing, its becoming the norm. Next home match attendance will be interesting.

Stewart: Real leaders don’t blame their men. For too long Martin has ignored his very open tactics when looking at a match. He has to leave. Defending is part of football. He clearly does not coach it.

“When we release the handbrake and start playing, then everybody grows.”

Aberdeen fans have been waiting some time for Jimmy Thelin’s side to take that handbrake off.

Following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Motherwell, the Scottish Cup holders remained anchored at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership without a league goal to their name.

The prospect of Shakhtar Donetsk coming to Pittodrie in the Europa Conference League on Thursday would have understandably caused a fair whack of concern.

But, despite falling to a 3-2 defeat to the Ukrainians, there were flickers of promise from a grim run which has offered up precious little light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

Three fresh summer arrivals were named by Thelin in his starting XI to face Shakhtar at Pittodrie, and all three repaid their manager’s show of faith.

Stuart Armstrong, Marko Lazetic, and Jesper Karlsson were industrious when needed and dynamic going forward when freed up.

Lazetic, once of AC Milan, arrived to much acclaim, as did on-loan Bologna winger Karlsson, and both showed their potency and threat.

The former looked promising, with his ability to hold the ball up and create shooting space for himself in tight spaces, adding another dimension to an attack that had been blunt for months.

While the latter showed some much-needed confidence to bury his early penalty and remained lively, showing his determination to pitch in for the side and defend as part of a unit, too.

When Nicky Devlin pounced to nod in his side’s second with 20 minutes to go after Marko Lazetic’s spectacular effort was tipped onto the bar, the home fans matched their side’s energy levels on the park as they hoped for a grandstand finish.

“The positive thing was we were connecting with the fans, showing some desire, passion, and personality on the pitch and fighting for Aberdeen football club,” Thelin said.

“We have to build on this now and learn from this. We always have to go out on the pitch to show how hard we are fighting for them.

“We did that today, the fans pushed the players to the last minute. We have to have that mentality every game. Now we will see the strength of character we have as a team in another important game on Sunday.”

The swell of support inside Pittodrie as they watched their side drive forward in the final half hour will also serve as encouragement for the embattled Thelin, who can take solace from the support within the fan base.

Speaking pre-match, Thelin spoke about his enthusiasm for his side’s new shape.

The Swede had stuck rigidly to a 4-2-3-1 system since arriving in Scotland last summer, except for one famous exception – 5-3-2 in the Scottish Cup final against Celtic – but has now moved back to a hybrid defence with three central defenders and two versatile wingbacks.

It remains to be seen what Thelin does when his side next take to the field on Sunday as Dundee come to Pittodrie. However, former Aberdeen captain Willie Miller is encouraged.

“You felt when it went to 3-1, Aberdeen decided they had nothing to lose although at that point you are a bit nervous it could get embarrassing,” he said.

“All of a sudden they opened up, the whole game was turned on its head. I thought the Lazetic’s turn and strike was something special. It tells you so much when the fans stay back and applaud a team that has shown a bit of guts and determination and some good play to get themselves back into the game.

“When we release the handbrake and start playing, then everybody grows.”

Aberdeen fans have been waiting some time for Jimmy Thelin’s side to take that handbrake off.

Following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Motherwell, the Scottish Cup holders remained anchored at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership without a league goal to their name.

The prospect of Shakhtar Donetsk coming to Pittodrie in the Europa Conference League on Thursday would have understandably caused a fair whack of concern.

But, despite falling to a 3-2 defeat to the Ukrainians, there were flickers of promise from a grim run which has offered up precious little light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

Three fresh summer arrivals were named by Thelin in his starting XI to face Shakhtar at Pittodrie, and all three repaid their manager’s show of faith.

Stuart Armstrong, Marko Lazetic, and Jesper Karlsson were industrious when needed and dynamic going forward when freed up.

Lazetic, once of AC Milan, arrived to much acclaim, as did on-loan Bologna winger Karlsson, and both showed their potency and threat.

The former looked promising, with his ability to hold the ball up and create shooting space for himself in tight spaces, adding another dimension to an attack that had been blunt for months.

While the latter showed some much-needed confidence to bury his early penalty and remained lively, showing his determination to pitch in for the side and defend as part of a unit, too.

When Nicky Devlin pounced to nod in his side’s second with 20 minutes to go after Marko Lazetic’s spectacular effort was tipped onto the bar, the home fans matched their side’s energy levels on the park as they hoped for a grandstand finish.

“The positive thing was we were connecting with the fans, showing some desire, passion, and personality on the pitch and fighting for Aberdeen football club,” Thelin said.

“We have to build on this now and learn from this. We always have to go out on the pitch to show how hard we are fighting for them.

“We did that today, the fans pushed the players to the last minute. We have to have that mentality every game. Now we will see the strength of character we have as a team in another important game on Sunday.”

The swell of support inside Pittodrie as they watched their side drive forward in the final half hour will also serve as encouragement for the embattled Thelin, who can take solace from the support within the fan base.

Speaking pre-match, Thelin spoke about his enthusiasm for his side’s new shape.

The Swede had stuck rigidly to a 4-2-3-1 system since arriving in Scotland last summer, except for one famous exception – 5-3-2 in the Scottish Cup final against Celtic – but has now moved back to a hybrid defence with three central defenders and two versatile wingbacks.

It remains to be seen what Thelin does when his side next take to the field on Sunday as Dundee come to Pittodrie. However, former Aberdeen captain Willie Miller is encouraged.

“You felt when it went to 3-1, Aberdeen decided they had nothing to lose although at that point you are a bit nervous it could get embarrassing,” he said.

“All of a sudden they opened up, the whole game was turned on its head. I thought the Lazetic’s turn and strike was something special. It tells you so much when the fans stay back and applaud a team that has shown a bit of guts and determination and some good play to get themselves back into the game.

After just three weeks in charge, Ange Postecoglou’s supporters demanded his dismissal. He remained defiant.

Postecoglou has won six of his first six games in charge of Forest, including a devastating 3-2 defeat over Midtjylland in the Europa League.

In his first six games as Forest manager, he became the first to lose.

Many Forest supporters chanted “You’re getting sacked in the morning” toward the former Tottenham boss after Valdemar Byskov scored the visitors’ late third goal at the City Ground.

“The fans are disappointed,” he said. They are permitted to express their views on it. I heard their opinions, said a miserable Postecoglou, who was also jeered as he went full-time down the tunnel.

Nothing about football surprises me. Our current climate is it. That seems to be the way things are going. I have no control over it.

Postecoglou was competing with Spurs for this trophy for more than four months, but he was fired 16 days later, paying the price for a terrible domestic campaign. He is currently having trouble getting results at another club.

Before the final whistle blew, Postecoglou was blamed for the first European game played at the City Ground for 29 years, which was a crushing disappointment.

Fans then sang in praise of West Ham’s former manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who is currently with Postecoglou.

Before being fired due to his broken relationship with owner Evangelos Marinakis, Nuno led Forest to seventh place in the Premier League last season.

Following Sunderland’s 1-0 home defeat on Saturday, Midtjylland won the Premier League.

Supporters turning to Marinakis and these results have altered the atmosphere at Forest.

“It’s my job to ensure that we achieve some wins for this football club and advance,” Postecoglou said.

“It would be better if people had a positive outlook on what I’m doing,” I said. I can only do that by winning football games.

That won’t change the way I’m treating things, regardless. I firmly believe in the direction we are heading and don’t think we are far from being the force that can solve the current crisis we’re in and achieve the desired outcomes.

Forest and Marinakis rekindled their relationship last summer, spending around £180 million to build on the success of last season, but Nuno was fired last month.

Postecoglou took his place on September 9th, but Forest struggled to maintain the momentum of the previous season and defeat their Danish opponents.

The head coach of Australia thinks his team is still on the verge of a breakthrough.

Nothing I saw tonight alters anything, Postecoglou said, “Yes, I do, nothing I saw tonight.” Although I understand how people are acting at the moment, particularly toward me, and I understand the atmosphere there, I don’t think it’s going to be great.

“I think we are on the right track, and we will be on a good path when we get past this moment of uncertainty,” he said.

Forest, who had earlier conceded first-half goals from Ousmane Diao and Mads Bech, either side of Dan Ndoye’s equalizer, could not be saved by Chris Wood’s stoppage-time penalty.

Before the international break, Forest will travel to Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday after drawing 2-2 with Real Betis last week.

It’s a really poor decision from us, Postecoglou said. We let ourselves down in crucial circumstances and had a mountain to climb were both significant events and [a]a similar tale.

Marinakis is well-versed in the idea of quick fixes when he finds things to be ineffective.

After just 48 days as head coach, he fired former Olympiacos manager Carlos Corberan, and Nuno left just weeks after he agreed to a new three-year contract.

Postecoglou is now the subject of discussion.

Former Forest and West Ham striker Michail Antonio, who spoke on TNT Sports, said, “I feel he will get extra time because he was appointed by the owner.”

He will allow him more time to develop his philosophy because he seems to be having a difficult time communicating his strategies to the players.

Wins are the name of the game, according to Martin O’Neill, the former manager of Forest and Leicester.

You wouldn’t even know the name of the tea lady after six games because the crowd was already hostile to him in many ways.