Editor Column: Celtic Set to Face a New Type of Challenge

Russell Martin's appointment means this won't be the same Rangers as the last four seasons. And that’s what makes it interesting.

For a while now, Rangers have carried the swagger of a side capable of rising for one-off games. They summoned fury on European nights, and summoned fight in Glasgow derby clashes—particularly when the consequences were low, the league title long since drifting east. But strip back the emotion, the noise, and the firework flares, and what remained was a team that choked when the chips were down.

They couldn’t win when it really mattered.

Cups were lost. Leagues were surrendered early. They beat Celtic, yes—but only when the finish line was a formality. When titles were there to be taken, Rangers fell apart. The fans knew it. The board knew it. And now, their response is Russell Martin—a manager not chosen to win the moment, but to build something lasting.

Enter Brendan Rodgers’ new managerial foe, Russell Martin….