By Ben Banks

Copyright glasgowworld

A former Premier League star has spotted how Russell Martin lost good will from Rangers supporters – on day one. The Light Blues boss has fans demanding his exit and a protest is planned ahead of Saturday’s game against Hibs in the Premier Sports Cup over his continuation as head coach. Rangers are winless after five Premiership matches and have just three wins from 12 overall under his tenure, but former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given has spotted how faith in the gaffer was lost for some fans before he’d even started. Traditionally, the Rangers gaffer is suited up in a navy suit with brown brogues for official duties like his unveiling, but Given noticed a pair of trainers is what Martin opted for, as he debated the Ibrox situation in a conversation with Celtic hero Chris Sutton. Breaking of simple traditions like footwear has the ex-Newcastle United keeper thinking Martin got off to the worst possible start that left no room for error. He told the Monday Night Club: “I think just briefly going back to the Rangers thing. I was up at Loch Lomond a couple of weeks ago at a big charity event and there was a lot of Rangers fans at that and a lot of season ticket holders and all. They were saying from day one, Chris, and you might tell me different. Every Rangers manager for the history of the football club, on the day they sign, they do a press conference with I think it’s a navy suit and brown shoes. “I know that might sound a bit out there, but Russell Martin wore, I don’t know what colour those shoes were but he didn’t wear the traditional shoes. He wore a pair of trainers and straight away, he’s broke the tradition of Rangers managers over, I don’t know, 100 years or whatever it is. Straight away he’s on the back foot with the wrong shoes. But like, he’s not helping himself in that sense in some of the stuff he’s said after games and things like that. “And Chris mentioned, some of the players that go up there. They’re not bad players, but again, it might be a bit like the Man United thing. There’s huge pressure in Glasgow, be it the green half or the blue half, when you pull on that jersey to play for them clubs and Chris will tell you better than me. It’s front-page news and back-page news in Glasgow, whatever the players do. I don’t think he’s helped himself from the sort of first minute. Sutton added: “The Rangers support are saying, well, tell me a player who he’s improved. Has the team improved? He came out after the weekend, I don’t think he’s helped himself. He told everybody that players are scared. That’s the Rangers manager telling every other club in Scotland that his players are playing with fear. “Trying to be balanced with it, that’s on him. Why would you do that? Unless he goes on an incredible run… Rangers fans, I mean, I think from what I’m hearing they’re just not going to rock up and watch the team. They won’t fill the stadium. “They are so disillusioned. With the best will in the world, you have these sort of long-term plans. It’s happened a lot at Rangers where they bring a new manager in, new recruitment comes in, it doesn’t work, and then they change manager. This has turned so ugly and so quickly. The start was so important for Russell Martin and he doesn’t have any sort of any real allies other than the people who employed him. Nobody else at the club wants him to stay. In a short space of time, that’s a horrific position for him to be in.”