'One day we can be really honest about first couple of months at Rangers and what we've had to deal with', says Russell Martin ahead of Champions League showdown

There is an intricate network of canals that winds a smooth path through the heart of Brugge city centre. Yet, as Russell Martin arrives in this picturesque little corner of Belgium, the Rangers manager finds himself in choppy waters.

Having overseen the club’s worst start to a league season in 36 years, Martin may well need a life jacket if he is not to drown in the waves of negativity which surround him.

Washed away after barely six weeks in the job? A growing number of Rangers fans are already calling for him to be sacked.

They have seen no tangible sign of progress in three lacklustre draws against Motherwell, Dundee and St Mirren. They have seen enough.

Martin was adamant once again on Tuesday night that he retains the full support of the club’s new American owners, as well as sporting director Kevin Thelwell. But patience is not infinite.

The capitulation against Club Brugge in the first leg of the Champions League play-off tie, where Rangers fell 3-0 behind after 20 minutes, saw frustration among supporters turn to anger.

When striker Hamza Igamane then apparently feigned injury and refused to come off the bench at St Mirren on Sunday, it was the latest problem for Martin to contend with.

A player openly downing tools, Igamane had to be moved on and he is now closing in on a £10.4million move to Lille.

Martin didn’t say it in as many words, but he gave the distinct impression on Tuesday of a man who has had to fight countless fires behind the scenes in these early weeks in the job.

‘I just think one day when we’ve won a lot of games and won something here at the club, maybe we can sit down and be really honest about the first couple of months and what we have to deal with,’ he said.

‘But it’s really difficult. It was the same in Southampton, so many players thought their future would lie elsewhere.

‘Towards the end of the window, we had a really bad run of form because so many players were being told by their agents, by other clubs that they’d get it done next week, next two weeks, next few days.

‘They were told to wait till the end of the window, we’ll get a favourable deal, and then we ended up with probably 15 players who thought they were still going to be leaving the club until probably a week before the end of the window.

‘That team then went on to be 25 games unbeaten because. once the window shut, they realised: “Okay, now we’re here, we can set up now and we can actually get to work”. So it’s not surprising.

‘The group’s been amazing in terms of their willingness. It’s certainly not a lack of effort and it’s not a reason we didn’t win at St Mirren on Sunday.

‘It’s frustrating but it’s part and parcel of the transfer window. The rest of the guys, the guys that we have here have been fantastic.

‘Maybe one or two of them will not be here by the end of next week but, while they are here, they’ve given us everything they’ve got and I think that’s all I can ask is, while you’re here, give everything you’ve got.’

It’s pretty clear that Martin is desperate for the transfer window to shut. It will offer clarity in terms of what this squad looks like moving forward.

But as he and his players get ready for perhaps the most implausible and ill-conceived assault on Brugge since Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson on the big screen, this feels like an important night.

Nobody realistically expects Rangers to turn this tie around. Brugge are a quality outfit who reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season.

The Ibrox side need to show an ability to compete. They need some kind of positivity and momentum heading into Sunday’s Old Firm clash with Celtic.

If Rangers were to suffer a couple of defeats, both tonight and then on Sunday against their bitter rivals, the anger from fans would only intensify.

Urging his players to give fans something to believe in with a performance, Martin said: ‘There’s an unwritten contract between players and a team and fans, and the team has to dictate the energy of the fans.

‘I really believe that. We didn’t give them enough in the first half at St Mirren, but second half they were brilliant.

‘We had a really difficult first half last week against Brugge, but then the fans were incredible in the second half. It’s up to us to create more of that energy with how we perform.

‘The players define the energy of the supporters. So we have to do a bit more to make sure we are giving them something to cheer about at the end of the game. I really believe that. And I really believe we will.

‘So I’m not going to criticise the support one bit. They’re the most important people in the club. And I think a lot of them understand what’s going on and the change that was needed here and is necessary.

‘Then then there will be some that are really unhappy because we’re not winning as many games as they would like. So that’s understandable. Especially at this amazing football club.

‘But I’m really calm, Kevin (Thelwell, sporting director) and the owners are calm, and I’m really convinced that we’ll change that energy.

‘We’ll change the reaction at the end of the game when we’re winning and we’re in flow will be beautiful and we’ll all share it together.’

Those canals dotted around the Jan Breydelstadion may be pretty on the eye, but life at Rangers has been anything but plain sailing for Martin.

His players need to deliver a performance which offers some shred of hope for supporters to cling on to moving forward.