Russ job might just be exactly what Gers need

THERE was a word thrown at Russell Martin a lot during his ill-fated time in the Premier League with Southampton. And it's a word well known to a couple of guys in this neck of the woods. Pragmatism.

- MICHAEL GANNON

It was a word that triggered Ange Postecoglou when he was in charge of Celtic and it followed him down the road to Spurs.

It turned out the Aussie did know what it meant after all, given his side made Walter Smith's Rangers UEFA Cup 2008 heroes look like Brazil 1970 in the other night's Europa League Final.

The same goes for Brendan Rodgers. He was constantly told he had to be more pragmatic in Europe and it equally grated with the current Celtic gaffer.

He's not daft either though. After getting whipped for seven in Dortmund, the Irishman did a backs-to-the wall job to get a draw at Atalanta.

So these two can adapt but they are also loath to abandon their principles.

And Martin is cut from the same cloth. Southampton snipers were practically begging him to shut up shop in the EPL, stop asking his centre halves to pass the ball out and give the possession based build-up plans a bye.

He ignored the lot of them.