Clyde 1 presenter Gordon Duncan has spoken candidly about a colourful one-to-one exchange he had with Russell Martin during the former manager’s brief and troubled spell in charge of Rangers.
Martin, a former Scotland international who had previously had a loan stint at Ibrox, returned to the club last summer as the permanent replacement for interim manager Barry Ferguson. His tenure lasted just 123 days and 17 games before he was dismissed, with a draw against Falkirk proving to be the final straw.
Appearing on Open Goal, Duncan reflected on the unusual dynamic he developed with Martin compared to other Old Firm managers he had dealt with over the years. He told hosts Roger Hannah, Simon Ferry, Andy Halliday and Paul Slane that Martin was a notably different character, suggesting that a willingness to let his guard down may ultimately have worked against him.
Duncan recalled that their first interaction came at a press conference ahead of the Panathinaikos match, where he asked what he admitted was a clumsily worded question about the pressure of facing qualifiers so early into a new job and whether such ties could prove season-defining. Martin pushed back firmly, insisting the qualifier would not define his season, and Duncan accepted the mild rebuke without issue.
The real moment of connection came at their next meeting, which was a private one-to-one. Martin immediately brought up the question again, this time in considerably more expressive language, making clear exactly what he thought of it while remaining relaxed and almost amused throughout. Duncan, sensing the barriers had come down, pushed further by asking what would happen if Rangers suffered a humiliating result in the qualifiers. Martin’s response was equally direct, telling him that nobody would care about anything as long as Rangers won the league in May. That prediction, of course, did not age well.
From that point on, Duncan said, Martin was unlike any Old Firm manager he had ever encountered in his career.