It’s not fair the manager gets all the blame… the Rangers players need to accept the flak from fans, too, says John Souttar

Rangers captain John Souttar has defended manager Russell Martin amid criticism following a poor performance against Club Brugge in the Champions League qualifiers. Souttar highlighted that it’s unfair for Martin to shoulder all the blame when the players also share responsibility for the team’s struggles.

During Tuesday night’s match at Ibrox, Rangers succumbed to a 3-1 defeat, conceding three goals within the first 20 minutes. The team’s poor start led to heavy criticism from supporters, some calling for Martin’s dismissal after just a few weeks into his tenure. Despite the backlash, Souttar emphasized that the players must also accept blame.

“It’s tough to hear the criticism, but when you’re here at Rangers and down 3-0, you have to expect it,” Souttar said. “The focus was on winning and progressing, and we put ourselves under pressure with those early mistakes. We need to start stronger next week.”

Leadership and Performance Concerns

Referring to his own display, Souttar admitted his leadership was lacking during the initial phase of the game. “We shot ourselves in the foot early, especially with the goals we gave away. Against a team of that quality, it’s difficult to recover,” he added. Despite the second-half improvement, the damage done in the first half makes the tie seem nearly lost, but Souttar remains optimistic about the second leg in Belgium.

“We still believe we can turn it around. We showed some resilience in the second half, got a goal back, and now we have to react,” he said. “We must be more disciplined and start stronger, taking responsibility for our mistakes and applying our game plan.”

Souttar also pointed out that the team’s poor start allowed pressure to mount, but emphasized the importance of a positive mindset heading into the next match: “There’s still belief, especially considering our past away European results. We need to go over there and show what we’re capable of.”

While the tie appears difficult to salvage, Souttar remains committed to giving their best effort in Belgium, acknowledging that avoiding early mistakes is crucial if they are to progress further in the competition.