Godwin ObajeRangers’ “Merciful” Sacking Call Intensifies After Late Escape at Livingston
Rangers may finally breathe a little easier — but only for now. Their long‑awaited first Premiership victory of the season arrived in dramatic fashion, as Max Aarons struck deep in stoppage time to clinch a 2–1 win over Livingston. Yet if confidence was restored, it was only temporary. The scenes at Almondvale, and what came before them, suggest that sacking Russell Martin now would, as one insider mused, be an act of mercy at Ibrox.
The win, coming after a torrid start to the campaign, lifts Rangers off the foot of the Scottish Premiership table. But it does little to quell the growing unrest among supporters, with chants for Martin’s dismissal that had grown deafening even during the trepidatious closing stages.
James Tavernier opened the scoring before the break with a well‑worked finish, but the relief was short‑lived. In the second half, Livingston hit back through Mo Sylla — a goal born of defensive hesitation. As the game tipped and tension mounted, some away fans were still loudly voicing their frustrations with the manager.
Then came the twist. In the fourth minute of injury time, Tavernier’s corner was nodded on, and Aarons drilled in low from close range to salvage three points. The eruption on the touchline was immediate, with Martin’s relief visible for all to see.
“I’m really proud of the players. We deserved to win,” Martin said after the final whistle. “The first half was the best we’ve played all season. We should have scored more goals for sure.
“The gap between the first half and the second was big. Some of the football was outstanding and it just wasn’t quite there in the second half. But in the last 30 minutes, we did so well. The subs had a big impact for us.”
Even with the victory, the mood in the stands remained fraught. The chants targeting Martin had begun long before Aarons’s intervention, and many questioned whether the board could — or would — continue to endure such hostility.
From the start of the campaign, results had conspired against Martin. Rangers emerged from home defeats, goalless draws and a humiliating European collapse with mounting pressure. After a 2–0 home loss to Hearts, fans openly booed, and calls for Martin’s head grew louder. Just over a week ago, even a cup win over Hibernian failed to calm the waters — the club remained 11th in the league, and critics urged the board to weigh the long‑term damage of prolonging his tenure.
One Ibrox insider admitted, in a harsh assessment, that giving Martin more time might amount to cruelty. The term “act of mercy” was floated quietly among boardroom watchers — a recognition that, at this juncture, even optimistic scenarios look increasingly unlikely.
For Martin, the win provides little more than a reprieve; it does not alter the underlying narrative. He has leaned on the performance in the first half, pointing to flashes of potential amid chaos. But the inconsistency — both in matches and temperament — remains his biggest indictment.
Rangers now enter a pivotal stretch of fixtures: the Europa League tie against Genk looms, followed by more league assignments that may define the direction of this season. Confidence is fragile; supporters are divided. The central question endures: can Martin truly turn this season around, or has the writing already been done?
One thing is certain: even as Max Aarons’s goal buys Martin a little time, the patience at Ibrox is thinner than ever. And for all the relief inside the dressing room, the tension in the stands signals that one more misstep could be fatal.
Godwin Obaje
