“Frustrated” Rangers boss Russell Martin respects the supporters’ right to protest, but insists a winning run can help unite the club with the fans again and turn the season around.
The under-pressure head-coach is facing calls for his dismissal, just 12 games into the job, after falling to tenth in the Premiership with no wins from his first five league matches.
A protest has been planned at Ibrox before their League Cup quarter-final against Hibernian on Saturday.
And while Martin admits it is a difficult period for everyone at the club, he believes it can make the team stronger if they get through the other side.
The former Southampton boss, who moved to Ibrox in the summer, isn’t taking the fan unrest personally and insists he still has enough backing from within the club to turn it around.
When asked about the protests at his media conference on Friday, Martin said: “It can be a really difficult balance, it hurts professionally because we are working so hard to try and give the supporters what they want, which is a successful team that wins and wins in a certain way.
“So, I am as frustrated as anyone because the results and some of the performances have been really difficult.
“With the fans and protests and stuff, I can’t control that at all, I have to respect it, I have to understand their frustrations and their annoyance, I feel every bit of it as well.
“I think we have an amazing opportunity as a team to come through this period and grow from it and come out stronger for it.
“Then hopefully everyone will come together, we just need to start winning football matches.
“So in regards to the protests, I can’t take it personally because I don’t know any of them and they don’t know me, and they don’t know how hard we are working.
“From the people inside the building I feel incredibly well supported, from the players, the staff and the ownership, and as long as that continues it will be fine.”
Martin defended his decision to take his Rangers squad for a walk up Conic Hill then a dip in Loch Lomond on Monday.
The team-bonding exercise came following the 2-0 defeat by Hearts at Ibrox on Saturday which left the Light Blues nine points behind the Jambos and Celtic in the Premiership after just five fixtures.
Under-fire Martin, claimed the day out – which did not go down well in all quarters of the Gers support – was always in the plans for some stage.
He said: “It has just been timing to do it. This city’s so intense, the club’s so intense. I think to step away from it sometimes is a good thing.
“The lads can take a breath, actually spend some time together where they’re not just playing football and being worked and so it was good.
“I really enjoyed it. I think if we did it when we were winning, no one says a word and you can be perceived either way.
“I’ve done it every club we’ve been at, various things, not always the sea or Loch because you’re not close enough. But as I say it’s good for the lads.”
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