Rangers still await first Scottish Premiership victory this season
1-1 draws with Motherwell and Dundee followed by stalemate against St. Mirren
Hopes of qualifying for Champions League also hanging by a thread
St. Mirren 1-1 Rangers, Scottish Premiership: Third Straight Draw Keeps Pressure On Martin
Russell Martin has officially made one of the worst starts of any permanent manager in Rangers' illustrious history. In all competitions, he is the first Gers boss to win as few as three of his first nine games at the helm (four draws, two defeats)
Summary
Russell Martin's wait for a first Scottish Premiership victory with Rangers goes on after his team were held to a third consecutive 1-1 draw by St. Mirren on Sunday.
The former Southampton boss had overseen 1-1 draws with Motherwell and Dundee on the first two matchdays of the domestic season, while Tuesday's 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge at Ibrox left their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League hanging by a thread.
And things did not get much better at the SMISA Stadium, where Jonah Ayunga latched onto Mikael Mandron's through-ball to net a 32nd-minute opener for the hosts.
Only a clawing save from Shamal George prevented Thelo Aasgaard from equalising before half-time, when Rangers were booed off by their furious travelling fans.
Martin switched to a three-man backline for the second half but Rangers continued to struggle, failing to attempt a single shot between the restart and the hour mark.
And there was a huge hint of fortune about Findlay Curtis' 78th-minute equaliser, as his low drive from the edge of the area took a big deflection to beat George.
However, Rangers failed to kick on after getting back on terms and almost lost the game in the 93rd minute, with Jack Butland turning an Alex Gogic header away from the top corner.
The visitors were jeered off again at full-time with the pressure already mounting on Martin, who could face a decisive week just two months into his reign, with Celtic up next in the league.
Data Debrief: Martin's historically poor start
Martin has officially made one of the worst starts of any permanent manager in Rangers' illustrious history.
In all competitions, he is the first Gers boss to win as few as three of his first nine games at the helm (four draws, two defeats). Those wins all came at home, versus
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Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen in Champions League qualifying and Alloa Athletic in the League Cup.
Martin is also just the second Rangers manager to fail to win his first three league games in charge, after John Greig failed to win any of his first six in 1978.
Martin is also just the second Rangers manager to fail to win his first three league games in charge, after John Greig failed to win any of his first six in 1978.
Grieg recovered to spend five years at the helm, winning two Scottish Cups and two League Cups, but Martin's position already looks tenuous.
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