MARTIN MUST BLUE BETTER

Thelwell says fans aren't only ones frustrated over start but backs under-fire boss to deliver

- BY ANDY NEWPORT

KEVIN THELWELL admitted Rangers “must do better” as he confirmed beleaguered boss Russell Martin is going nowhere.

The 39-year-old is fighting for Ibrox survival having suffered a disastrous start to life in Glasgow.

Martin has watched Rangers slip six points behind Celtic in the title race four games into the league campaign.

To compound matters, he also presided over a record-equalling 6-0 defeat away to Club Brugge in the second leg of their Champions League playoff to lose 9-1 on aggregate.

Combined with a bitter internal standoff with star man Nico Raskin, that has led to large-scale calls from fans for Martin to be axed.

But sporting director Thelwell declared he and the club’s new American owners continue to back the former MK Dons, Swansea and Southampton gaffer.

And he confirmed Raskin will be invited to sit down and patch up relations with the boss once he returns from international duty with Belgium.

Speaking to Rangers TV, he said: “Clearly we must do better.

“Let's be honest, what we've delivered so far hasn't been good enough. We all understand that that needs to improve and were all frustrated with that.

“But I would also say there is a huge amount of alignment within this building and there's a huge amount of alignment with leadership team and ownership that believes we're heading in the right direction and can deliver that success everybody is craving with the group of people were currently working with.

“And so on that basis, we'll be working tirelessly and working as hard as we possibly can to deliver that. I also appreciate that needs to be delivered quickly.