Russell Martin Shocks Baseball World with Long-Awaited Comeback Announcement

Russell Martin insists he is “100 percent committed” to turning Rangers’ season around after another turbulent week in which supporters announced protests for Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Hibernian at Ibrox. Speaking on Friday, the 39-year-old head coach admitted criticism has “hurt” but says he will not walk away from the three-year project he began in June. Rangers are still without a league win after five Premiership fixtures and sit eight points behind Celtic. An early League Cup exit would intensify pressure on both Martin and chief executive Patrick Cavenagh, whom fans also plan to target with banners and chants. The planned demonstration follows last weekend’s 2-0 loss to Hearts that saw booing and angry scenes outside the main stand. Martin, whose possession-based philosophy drew early comparisons to Pep Guardiola, has been labelled a “shallow Guardiola imposter” by some pundits, but he received unlikely backing on Thursday from Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers urged supporters to “respect the process” and claimed Martin’s ideas would “click sooner rather than later”. Questions have also been raised about the squad’s mindset after reports of a Loch Lomond team-building trip that included paddle-boarding and an open-air barbecue. Martin defended the exercise, saying it helped “reset the group” before an intense run of fixtures. On the pitch, Rangers have struggled to convert dominance into goals—ranking first in the league for average possession (67 percent) yet eighth for expected goals. Injuries to marquee summer signings Nico Serrano and Rúben Vinagre have forced Martin to field academy graduates in key roles, and defensive lapses have cost the side nine points from winning positions. The manager confirmed left-back Borna Barišić returns to the squad this weekend, while striker Cyriel Dessers faces a late fitness test. Victory over Hibs would set up a semi-final date at Hampden in November and could buy Martin valuable time ahead of next Wednesday’s Europa Conference League trip to Rapid Vienna. Failure, however, would leave the former Southampton and Swansea boss under extreme scrutiny with directors already drawing up contingency shortlists. Despite the noise, Martin struck a defiant tone: “We’ve had honest conversations. The players know the expectations of this club and so do I. Our fans deserve better results and I’m convinced we’ll deliver them, starting tomorrow.” Key SEO phrases: Russell Martin under pressure, Rangers fans protest, Scottish Premiership winless run, Brendan Rodgers backs Russell Martin, Rangers vs Hibernian cup quarter-final, Ibrox unrest, Loch Lomond bonding trip, Rangers injury update.