Martin issues bullish verdict on Rangers future as under-fire boss reveals frank chat with chairman

Russell Martin claims Rangers’ American owners understand that it’s going to take time to turn things around at Ibrox under his stewardship.

And the under-fire manager, who doesn’t believe his job is under imminent threat, says the constant calls for his removal are not concerning him.

Having described his conversation with chairman Andrew Cavenagh after Thursday’s 1-0 defeat to Genk as nothing unusual, the Rangers boss was asked if there was an acceptance throughout the club that results have to improve quickly.

‘Yes, listen, I’m probably the one that feels that the most, I’m the most frustrated one because, ultimately, I’m the head coach of the team,’ he said.

‘So, while everyone is probably feeling a bit frustrated and all that stuff, I think there’s an acceptance from them — as people who have run football clubs and sports teams for a very long time — that sometimes things can take a bit of time to change. And to get to where you want to get to is not always going to happen overnight.

‘But we’re all frustrated, everyone’s feeling it. So, while the fans are feeling it, we’re inside the building, we’re feeling it more than anyone because we’re the ones that ultimately have to go out and put the performance on the pitch and get scrutinised and critiqued for that.

‘But we’re all together, I really feel that. Everyone’s been really together through this period. And, like I said, if we can get through this period, which I really believe we will, we’ll all be so much better for it.’

The home loss to the Belgians extended a dreadful start to Martin’s tenure, with just four wins in 14 matches.

Second bottom of the Premiership ahead of Sunday’s trip to Livingston, the latest set-back in the Europa League took place with almost 14,000 seats empty at Ibrox.

Having met Kavenagh after he took in the final game of his visit to Scotland, Martin detected no change in tone from last time they spoke.

He stated: ‘The media love making out as if everyone is in a big conversation about “Is he going? Is he staying? What’s being said?”.

‘But, generally, we chat about the football club, about what we can improve, about the performance, about the next game.

‘And it’s always the same, it’s never just me and Andrew. It’s me and my staff, Kevin (Thelwell), Andrew, Patrick (Stewart), all of the guys in there.

‘We have a good conversation, honest conversation and it was the same again. So, there’s nothing out of the ordinary with that.’

Asked how he is being affected by the hostility of fans, Martin claimed the demands for his sacking are washing over him.

‘I think if you’re a football manager now, your job’s under threat wherever you work all the time,’ he said.

‘Such is the world and such is the industry, it’s brutal. So, genuinely, if we were doing brilliantly, I wouldn’t listen to the outside noise.

‘If we’re doing not very well, I don’t listen to it because you can get caught up in all of it. So, I would always treat it the same.

‘So, as long as I feel in here that the staff, the players, the supporting team around all of it, as long as I feel they’re here, they’re with us, we’re together, which I really feel, then I’ll be happy and I really trust that with a good process and good people, the outcome will follow.’

Despite failing to win successive games this season, Martin feels the confidence among the squad remains high.

‘I think it’s the best it has been,’ he claimed. ‘So, while we were frustrated and disappointed with the Genk result, there’s also an awareness in the context of the game and how much the red card (for Mohamed Diomande) changed the game.

‘But the togetherness, the willingness to run for each other, the willingness to take the ball with 10 men, all of that was standing us in really good stead.

‘So, they’re in a good place, the guys, they’ve just to keep learning, keep trying to grow as a group and obviously try and win as many matches as we possibly can, as quickly as we can.’

Thursday’s crowd of 37,898 was the lowest for a European match since Rangers returned to the Premiership.

Apparently unconcerned by the growing level of apathy, Martin insisted: ‘I don’t think it was full for a cup game last year until you reached the semi-final and final.

‘So, while people will attach what they want to it at the moment and make their own narrative, I don’t think that’s been the case.

‘The only way we can do that (get supporters engaged) is to win football matches and bring people back. Everything else I can’t control.

‘We’ll work really hard on being together, working really hard to make sure we improve and win. And then, when you win, and you win a lot, I think things will change.’

Already nine points behind Celtic and Hearts in the title race, the manager conceded that a win at Livingston is non-negotiable as far as his hopes of making up the ground are concerned.

‘We want to compete, and we want to be at the top of the table at the end of the season,’ he said. ‘So, if you leave it too much longer, you’ll start running out of games. So, we have time.

‘It’s really early on in the season. We have time to build and win and claw our way back.

‘We have to be really hungry and start hunting the top and really start making the points difference up. So, it has to start on Sunday.’