Rangers have been urged to call time on Russell Martin’s disastrous tenure as manager – and move heaven and earth to appoint Jose Mourinho as their new boss.
Martin is clinging to his job heading into Sunday’s Old Firm clash with Celtic after a shambolic start to life in the Ibrox hotseat.
Failure to win any of the opening three league games confirmed the club’s worst start to a domestic season in 36 years, before they were battered 6-0 by Club Brugge in a Champions League qualifier on Wednesday night.
There is now an overwhelming majority of fans who want Martin to be sacked with immediate effect, irrespective of Sunday’s result against Celtic.
Supporters are now calling for the club to do everything in their power to lure Mourinho to Ibrox after it was announced on Friday morning that he had parted company with Fenerbahce.
Mourinho spoke of a desire to manage in Glasgow in the future when his team faced Rangers in the Europa League back in March and was very complimentary towards Rangers fans.
Now, with the iconic Portuguese boss available and looking for work, a prominent Rangers supporter who helped broker the takeover deal with the American investors has urged the club to move quickly.
Russell Martin has endured a torrid time at Rangers, with fans demanding he goes
But could Jose Mourinho be the man to replace him at Ibrox after his own sacking?
Mourinho was in Scotland last season to take on Rangers and admitted he would be interested in managing in Glasgow
Andy Mason, a Scottish property and finance expert based in Dubai, was a key figure in making the initial introduction and bringing the 49ers Enterprises to the table.
‘Like every other Rangers fan, I was horrified by what I watched on Wednesday night against Brugge,’ Mason told Daily Mail Sport.
‘I struggle to really recall anything that could top that. Just in terms of the manner of the performance, that’s probably as bad as I’ve seen us.
‘Given the level of anger among supporters, it’s pretty clear already that Russell Martin isn’t the right man to take this forward.
‘That will only escalate further if they lose to Celtic. The Americans will be there on Sunday. They will feel it themselves in terms of the atmosphere. It’s toxic.
‘Martin’s system just doesn’t work in Glasgow. The pressure is too intense. You can’t experiment or have project managers. You need to win games and compete in Europe.
‘The Americans need to show strong leadership and just admit that they have probably made a mistake in hiring him. There needs to be a change.
‘In a way, this isn’t really about Russell Martin any more. It’s about Rangers as a club and doing what’s best.
‘Like every other supporter out there, I want the club to move forward and thrive under the new ownership. But I just don’t see how that happens under Russell Martin.
Martin now faces Celtic on Sunday in what is now a crucial Old Firm derby
‘The fact that Jose Mourinho is now available is bound to be hugely appealing to supporters. If Rangers could get that done, that would be one hell of an appointment.
‘He would be absolutely box-office and would unite the entire fanbase pretty much instantly.
‘He would also instil some backbone and some character in the squad, which is something that’s sorely lacking at the moment.
‘I believe he would also help come of the current players like Oliver Antman, Thelo Aasgaard and Djeidi Gassama.
‘He would coach them and make something of them. His experience would help improve the value of those assets, whereas sticking with Martin would divest it.
‘Mourinho is a legendary figure in the game, one of the best managers we’ve seen over the past 25 years or so.
‘He would command instant respect and the players would want to play for him. I think the club should move heaven and earth to make it happen while he’s available.’
