Russell Martin Laments Mental Errors as Rangers Fall to Sturm Graz in Europa League

Rangers manager Russell Martin expressed his frustration at costly defensive lapses after his side slumped to a 2-1 defeat against Sturm Graz in Austria, leaving their Europa League campaign off to a faltering start.

The hosts struck inside seven minutes when Rangers surrendered possession from a James Tavernier throw-in, allowing Slovenian striker Tomi Horvat to fire home from inside the box. Matters worsened for the visitors in the 35th minute, as a poorly defended free-kick led to Georgian midfielder Otar Kiteishvili doubling the Austrian side’s advantage.

The Gers responded after the interval, with winger Djeidi Gassama producing a superb finish four minutes into the second half to reduce the deficit. However, despite sustained pressure, Martin’s side could not force an equaliser and now sit without a point after successive group-stage defeats, following their 1-0 loss to Genk last week.

Reflecting on the performance, Martin criticised his side’s mentality and decision-making in key moments:

“We hurt ourselves tonight, for sure. In the first half they didn’t create anything from open play – it was set plays and throw-ins that punished us. It’s hurtful and frustrating,” he said.

“It’s about concentration and mentality. We work on throw-ins a lot, but instead of sticking to our plan we just threw it down the line. If you do that, you have to close the gap and stay compact – but we didn’t. At this level you need to be alert and help each other, and we didn’t do that either. That’s the most disappointing thing.”

Despite his side’s slow start to the group stage, Martin remains confident Rangers can still progress to the knockout rounds:

“We’re only two games in. On average you need four wins to qualify, so there’s still plenty of time. We created a lot of chances away from home in Europe – but you can’t have nothing to show for it because of two poor goals. It’s frustrating, but I believe we can turn it around.”

Rangers will now need to regroup quickly as they face the challenge of collecting points in their remaining fixtures to keep qualification hopes alive.