Russell Martin defends scathing Rangers post-match interview

After the opening day 1-1 draw against Motherwell, Martin had sharply criticised the players, questioning their mentality and urging them to "drop their egos".

Reflecting on this episode during his stint as Rangers' head coach, Martin has now shared detailed reasoning behind his public reprimand.

Referencing that particular press conference, he stressed the importance of matching his public messaging with what he expresses to the squad.

On BBC Radio 5 Live, Martin said: "Everything I've said to the media, I've never not said to the players.

"If I've come out and criticised the group, it'll only ever be for effort. It will never be for making mistakes."

His criticism, he says, was directed solely at issues of attitude and collective focus.

Martin emphasised that lack of enthusiasm, poor mindset, wrong intentions, or absence of collaboration were the only grounds for criticism, expressing his firm belief that these elements were crucial to team success.

Russell Martin went on to explain his decision to challenge the players publicly after the Motherwell match.

"The first game at Motherwell, people thought I'd gone really early, but I said to the guys, 'What I've just told you now I'll say out there, because it's gonna be a problem if it carries on.'"

While the press interviews sometimes became wearisome for him, he felt they were often more personal attacks than constructive discussions centred on the game.

He recounted: "But the other interviews I felt became tiresome, it wasn't really about the football.

"It was almost like an attack on me as a person from people who didn't know me.

"There were some interviews I probably came across quite punchy, but you're dealing with them every time, every two days."