By Ben Banks

Copyright glasgowworld

Chris Sutton has identified the two Rangers signings he feels are struggling to cope with the demands of Ibrox. The Light Blues have endured an awful start to the season and pressure is on head coach Russell Martin, with vast amounts of fans wanting him gone. Hearts won 2-0 at the weekend and Hibs are up next on Ibrox soil in a key Premier Sports Cup quarter final clash. Recruitment is currently under the microscope with former Celtic striker Sutton well informed on two of them who had arrived from Bournemouth. He had watched Max Aarons impress at Norwich City, while Joe Rothwell had shone at another of his ex sides in Blackburn Rovers before following him as the midfielder helped Leeds United earn promotion to the Premier League last campaign. Sutton says those two in particular look like they are unable to cope with the demands of Rangers, as the environment they are coming into now turns toxic. He told Monday Night Club: “The signings and the recruitment, I think, is a massive issue. Everybody knows it is. In the market, which Rangers are shopping in, he’s brought players up from down south. I feel sorry for some of the players. I really, really do. “If you look at the likes of Max Aarons. I saw a lot of him at Norwich City. When Rangers signed him, I thought do you know what? On the face of it, that’s a pretty good signing. But Russell started him at left back, a position which, he’s a right back. He hasn’t played much there and all of a sudden, within a game or two, there’s moans and groans when he’s on the ball and feeling that he’s negative. “The crowd are on his back and he’s just totally shot to bits, his confidence. Joe Rothwell, a player who’s had a really decent playing career, Leeds and really good at Blackburn. 30 years old and has gone up there and he’s another one. I think that he’s really been affected by the expectation there and the moans and groans. It’s a really difficult place to play.” He added: “It is a really difficult place to play. Rangers have recruited a fair few young players and the environment to play in, it is toxic. It wasn’t a surprise, Hearts going to Ibrox at the weekend and winning. “It really wasn’t and they’ve got Hibs in the League Cup this weekend. Honestly, I’ll tell you, ask most people in Scotland and they’ll say, well, Hibs are favourite. Hibs will be favourites for that. “The problem that the Rangers hierarchy have and the 49ers group and everything which comes with it, these were the guys who hung the hat on Russell Martin. They keep backing him. But the Rangers fans have… it’s ugly. They’ve given up, really. And they’re going to start having to carry the can for that.”