MILES OFF IT

Martin's methods just like the bad old Le Guen days

- BY ANDY NEWPORT

MARATHON man Paul Le Guen arrived at Rangers hoping to push his team to new limits - but ended up being pushed out himself.

And current boss Russell Martin taking his squad wild swimming gave Alan Hutton chilling flashbacks to the Frenchman’ radical approach.

Super-fit Le Guen arrived in Glasgow in the summer of 2006 having just competed in the Marathon des Sables, a gruelling 150-mile, week-long race through the Sahara Desert.

But he failed to go anywhere near the distance after lasting just 31 games as Gers boss.

His 186-day reign remains the shortest of any permanent Rangers manager, but that record is coming under serious threat from Martin.

Former fullback Hutton was at Ibrox during the tumultuous period and remembers Le Guen forcing them to sweat their way through three lung-bursting training sessions a day.

Those memories came flooding back this week as Hutton saw images of Martin dragging his team up Conic Hill and into Loch Lomond in an attempt to foster team unity.

“I wouldn't have been happy,” said the 2005 league winner of Monday's outdoor adventures. “I'm not going to lie. I can't say I'd have enjoyed that. It's not really my thing.

“But I understand what Russell was attempting. I've been in teams where they take you paintballing or for a night out to try to get the team together.