Russell Martin scores instant Rangers OG as Martin O'Neill admits 'I really wouldn't have done that'

Russell Martin scores instant Rangers OG as Martin O'Neill admits 'I really wouldn't have done that'

The Celtic legend reckons the newly-appointed Ibrox boss should've kept his brutal criticism in-house rather than going public

Russell Martin insists Rangers blast came from place of love and is not an attack on individuals

Martin O'Neill reckons Rangers boss Russell Martin jumped the gun by publicly annihilating his players after their Fir Park slip-up.

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Martin was livid after watching Gers spill opening day points at Motherwell and launched a furious tirade at some of his stars' mentality.

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The Ibrox gaffer's astonishing blast came just days after the Light Blues came through an energy-sapping Champions League clash in Athens.

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Martin's brutal tongue-lashing stunned fans and pundits, with Record Sport's Chris Sutton admitting he was taken aback by the "machine gun" rant.

And Celtic managerial great O'Neill believes Martin might've overstepped the mark by going so hard on his underperformers in front of the camera.

He told talkSPORT: "I started to think about myself about what I did in my earlier stages of management, and did I become critical of players early on in an attempt to ingratiate myself with fans?

Rangers manager Russell Martin

"Do you give them some time? And that’s a point you have to consider, or is that a point of saying, ‘Listen, let’s get this out in the open’.

"I think, from a distance, I don’t think I would have been that critical of a team that has just got through two difficult matches against Panathinaikos.

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"I really wouldn’t have done that there. If you have plenty to say, say it to them in the dressing room.

"If this is what you want to do, if you want to get something out in the open and you want to tell you want to bring people in, then if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it early."

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