Martindale shocked by Ibrox exodus

DAVID MARTINDALE last night expressed his astonishment at Rangers’ decision to allow former manager Steven Gerrard to take his entire backroom team to Aston Villa ahead of a landmark week.

Although the Ibrox club

moved quickly to install Giovanni van Bronckhorst as Gerrard’s successor, the Dutchman was not installed in time to influence the team’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Hibs last Sunday.

Instead the team was prepared by B Team coaches David McCallum and Brian Gilmour, with Hibs capitalising on the upheaval to win 3-1 at Hampden.

Livingston boss Martindale insists it would have made more sense to allow Gerrard, and assistant Gary McAllister to leave for Villa immediately but keep coaches Michael Beale and Tom Culshaw on an interim basis to ensure continuity going into the Europa League game with Sparta Prague and today’s league match in West Lothian.

‘I don’t want to speak out of turn, but six key members of staff leaving in one fell swoop, I wouldn’t have let it happen here,’ said Martindale.

‘Steven and Gary could have gone and they could have kept some of the backroom staff and training wouldn’t have changed. The players had a huge amount of respect for Steven. He recruited them all so it was a massive kick in the stomach for them. It was very quick, how it happened, so I can see how it affected the players on Sunday.

‘If I look at that from my perspective, it’s basically nearly every person employed in the first-team environment barring the kitman and goalie coach. That’s a big ask.

‘Once Gio has his own people inside the building and has the chance to work with the players we’ll see a different Rangers team.’

Meanwhile, Martindale believes Jack Ross is right to complain about Hibs’ December schedule but insists any fixture concession should apply to his club. The SPFL have rescheduled the clubs’ Premiership game — postponed after Hibs’ Covid outbreak — for December 7, adding a game to Hibs’ schedule in a month that also sees them face Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup Final.

Martindale added: ‘I’m going to be a wee bit controversial here. I believe Jack should get a break but if Jack’s getting a break, I want a break.

‘Do I think Jack is right? Yes. It’s a cup final, but is it any bigger than my three points? I don’t think it is. It’s a huge occasion for Hibs and Jack. But three points is also massive for a club like Livingston.’