Russell Martin

[alex_ncfc 644]

Are you for real?

If RM has "a role to play for us next season" then we really are in trouble! Either Farke will have been sacked or we''ll be in League One.

He''s not good enough for us anymore and this has clearly been demonstrated by Farke not involving him *at all* since August. He won''t be coming back here to play.

[AJ 1,218]

Maybe there is nothing more in it than footballing ability now, in Farke''s opinion. Of those who played that frightful game at Millwall, look how many of the back four haven''t played much for us since;

Martin

Franke

Husband (become a off the bench player unless injuries require him to play)

The only man still to remain is Pinto. Arguably, Martin is now behind Klose, Hanley and Zimmerman in the pecking order, and with Raggett now with us Martin is now surplus. It does, perhaps, leave us a little light if we regularly play 3 across the back. But at his age, Martin wants to play (especially if he is to get back into the Scotland squad) so it was probably mutual for him to leave.

Regarding the Naismith situation, his performances on the pitch haven''t been at the standard required. This season he got injured and then never returned. I can only assume if he''s to play down the middle he''s behind Wes and Maddison for that role, down the left he''s behind Murphy and Steipermann. No more room at the inn.

[Ray 111]

alex_ncfc,

Yep, last time I looked I was real!

There is more than one way to play a role and the reason Farke did not involve him had nothing to do with RM ''not being good enough'', in fact, perversely, quite the opposite, remembering there is more than one way of being good enough.

[king canary 7,561]

Martin was behind Franke in the pecking order before he got loaned out. We simply can''t afford to pay our 4th or 5th choice central defender the kind of wages he is probably on and he''s not good enough to be any higher in the pecking order than that.

[lake district canary 4,530]

I actually think Martin realised that his presence in the team was making things worse, not because of his ability, but because of the way he had become a focal point of people''s dis-satisfaction on the pitch.  I wouldn''t be surprised if it was he who took himself out of the firing line for that reason.  Good on him for still wanting to play - and Rangers will give him good experience for when he comes back to Norwich....as a coach.

[king canary 7,561]

@LDC

Wtf? That is proper mental.

[Rogue Baboon 0]

I still cant get my yeada round this.

I understand sending Martin out on loan, but he is the ONLY other player we had who can play at right back should Pinto get injured?

Surely we must be getting a right back in before the deadline?

[Ray 111]

LDC,

Some of what you have said hits the mark, however it was not him who took himself out of the firing line and not because of people''s dis-satisfaction, most of which was mis-placed anyway imo.

Maddison''s tweet about him sums up what the players think of him, "Great signing for Rangers! Will be missed at NCFC very much! Top top captain and friend. Hope NCFC fans realise how brilliant he is and has been to this football club."

May be the words, "Top, top captain" along with the fact most of us recognise he will be a coach in the future, and is already qualified to coach at Championship level, reveals the reason he publicly stated that he would never again be selected by Farke.

So, no surprise he was prepared to go out on loan.

[Alex Moss 2,165]

[quote user="Rogue Baboon"]I still cant get my yeada round this.

I understand sending Martin out on loan, but he is the ONLY other player we had who can play at right back should Pinto get injured?

Surely we must be getting a right back in before the deadline?[/quote]

@Rogue Baboon - we already have signed a right back this window, Jordon Thomas.

[Mark Fotheringham City Legend 0]

Gives away a penalty on his Rangers debut...

Dubious circumstances I will add.

[Bill 1,788]

[quote user="Mark Fotheringham City Legend"]Gives away a penalty on his Rangers debut...

Dubious circumstances I will add.[/quote]dodgy penalty here9m 41secs

[Ray 111]

And for anyone wondering why he wasn''t in the squad for the last game, it had nothing to do with the penalty incident, which was dodgy at least, it was because of a personal family issue.