The pressure of playing for Rangers has been a hot topic this season and the mentality required, and midfielder Joe Rothwell offered a frank assessment of what life is really like under the glare of the Glasgow spotlight following the 1-1 draw away to Falkirk that spelled the end for head coach Russell Martin.
Speaking after the match, Rothwell, who joined the club in the summer from Southampton under now-departed head coach Martin, admitted he’s already experienced both extremes of the city’s unique football culture.
He said: “People warn you about it before you come up here. They say how good it can be, but the flip side of things is how bad it can be.”
“At the minute, I’m seeing the bad side of things, but we have to stick together as a group and ultimately go on the pitch and put a performance out there that the fans can be proud of.”
Rothwell’s comments lay bare the suffocating scrutiny that comes with wearing the Rangers badge, a reality that can make or break players arriving from outside Scotland.
The midfielder’s remarks echoed the sentiment of many who have struggled to adjust to the sheer intensity of the city’s footballing goldfish bowl, where every performance, pass and press conference is magnified.
For Rothwell, this baptism of fire has come during one of the most turbulent periods in recent Rangers history. The draw at Falkirk, Rangers’ fifth in seven league games, part of the club’s worst start to a league season since the 1970’s and amidst their worst ever run of conceding away from home, 23 matches, proved to be the final straw for Martin, whose brief tenure as head coach came to an end less than 24 hours later.
The timing of Rothwell’s words felt almost prophetic. His reflection on pressure, expectation and accountability arrived just hours before the club confirmed Martin’s dismissal, a reminder that, in Glasgow, the line between support and scrutiny is razor thin.
Rothwell, who has played under intense atmospheres in England’s Championship, admitted the Glasgow experience is of a different magnitude entirely. Where elsewhere criticism may fade with time, in Scotland’s football capital it lingers and grows louder until results change.
Now, as Rangers enter a critical international break, Rothwell and his teammates face the challenge of proving they can handle that glare, not shrink under it.
“We have to stick together as a group,” he said. “Go on the pitch and put in a performance the fans can be proud of.”
At Ibrox, that’s not just an ambition or a hope, it’s a demand. It’s the minimum expectation.