IT'S WIN-WAY TRAFFIC

Victories are everything as Martin begins league quest

- By Scott McDermott

RUSSELL MARTIN might be a football purist. But while he’s in charge at Rangers, he knows he'll be judged on one thing only - winning.

And as he prepares for his first crack at the Scottish Premiership as a gaffer, he’s convinced he can mould the Ibrox outfit into title contenders.

He’s only 57 days into the job as manager.

At his press conference ahead of today’s league opener at Motherwell, he joked that he should still be enjoying preseason instead of fretting over three points. Unfortunately, that goes with the territory of being Rangers gaffer.

In midweek, while not anywhere near their best, his team dug out a draw in Athens against Panathinaikos to progress in Champions League qualifying.

Martin’s pride in that result didn’t necessarily come from the performance. After a summer of seismic change, it was their ability to find a way to win.

The manager is still in the early stages of implementing a new style of play at Ibrox.

They’re miles away from where he wants them to be and he’s adamant there will be more new signings before the transfer window closes.

But while all of this is going on, he has to win matches.

And given the fact Rangers have dropped points on the opening day of the season for two years on the trot — then failed to recover sufficiently to challenge for the title — his team will have to do the same in Lanarkshire.

Martin refuses to accept that anything less than victory will be a disaster.