Rangers boss Russell Martin didn’t hold back after a frustrating league opener, calling out his players’ lack of grit compared to Cyriel Dessers – www.isagoal.com reports.
In a blunt post-match reaction, Martin didn’t sugarcoat anything, making it clear that the team’s mentality—more than tactics—was the problem.
Dessers only played 27 minutes in the draw against Motherwell but made enough of an impact to earn praise from Martin, who questioned why others couldn’t match his intensity.
“We need to figure out who’s really in this,” the coach said. “Dessers comes on, works his socks off, and he’s the one with transfer bids on the table.”
The Nigerian international has been linked with a move to AEK Athens this summer, but those talks have cooled.
Still, Martin pointed out that commitment isn’t optional at Ibrox, especially with European fixtures ahead.
“There will be players left behind if they’re not ready to give everything,” he warned, before acknowledging fans’ frustrations.
Rangers dropped points thanks to a late strike from Emmanuel Longelo, but they’ll have a quick shot at redemption Tuesday when they face Viktoria Plzen in UCL qualifiers.
This article was updated 2 hours ago