Russell Martin remains as Rangers head coach and has backing of Ibrox board

Russell Martin is to remain as Rangers head coach despite mounting calls for him to be sacked.

STV Sport understands the beleaguered Ibrox boss has the backing of the club’s board despite the team’s 2-0 loss at home to Hearts in the Premiership yesterday.

Rangers have now slumped to tenth place in the top flight following the defeat on Saturday, and are yet to win in the league this season.

During and after the game, many Rangers supporters inside Ibrox chanted for him to go.

At his post-match media conference, the 39-year-old insisted he will not quit.

When asked if he would step down following four draws and a defeat – marking the Light Blues’ worst league start in 47 years – the Gers boss simply replied: “No.”

“The fans are entitled to their opinion so I can’t come out here and criticise that.”

Martin has previously stressed that he has the support of the Ibrox board and asked if it was still the case, the former Southampton boss said: “I don’t know. We’ll see, won’t we? They’ve been great up until now. All of them. So we’ll see.”

Asked how difficult it is to work when the fans are so vociferous, Martin spoke of his players being “scared” and said: “It doesn’t affect me personally. Professionally it’s difficult because we need the team to play in a certain way that requires certain things.

“And it’s really difficult when the atmosphere is how it is. It’s aimed towards me, not towards the players.”

Meanwhile, James Tavernier admits Rangers players were left “ashamed” by the “embarrassing” 2-0 defeat by Hearts on Saturday, which piled further pressure on Martin.

The Gers skipper bemoaned the poorest start to the season since he signed from Wigan in 2015 – Rangers were also bundled out of the Champions League qualifiers 9-1 on aggregate by Club Brugge – but insists there is “no chance” the boss was solely to blame.

Tavernier, 33, said: “It’s not good enough. Plain and simple, it’s not good enough.

“For all the years I’ve been here, I’ve never had a start to the season like this, so it’s not good enough as a team, as players.

“We have to do much better than this.

“First and foremost, the players have to play for the shirt, they have to play for the manager, they have to play for the fans, they have to play for the club.

“Whichever order you put it in, that way it all comes together. We all have to play, first and foremost, for the club.

“And as a team, it’s not good enough. Plain and simple.”

Martin is set to return to the dug-out for next weekend’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final to Hibs.