'Never been this bad': Brutal Rangers putdown delivered by players as Russell Martin question put to captain

Rangers’ travails under embattled head coach Russell Martin continued on Saturday when they lost 2-0 to Hearts at Ibrox in the Premiership. Raging supporters called for Martin to resign as vitriolic abuse was hurled from the stands at the 39-year-old, who has yet to win a league match since taking up office in June.

After five rounds of fixtures, Rangers have four points and sit tenth in the table. It is their worst start to a league campaign in 47 years.

Martin said afterwards that he has no plans to fall on his sword despite the poisonous atmosphere around Ibrox. Their next game is against Hibs, back in Govan, next weekend in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals.

Tavernier was brutally honest in his assessment of Rangers’ performance against Hearts, saying that it “wasn’t good enough” and that there is anger in the dressing room. And while he fell short of saying that the players are behind Martin, he said that responsibility for the team’s dreadful run of form by Rangers’ standards also falls on the squad.

“It's not good enough,” said Tavernier. “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.

Tavernier: It’s never been this bad during time at Rangers

“We're not creating enough chances in the final third, and on the transition, we're conceding too many chances. So, I said after the game, we all have to go home, look ourselves in the mirror, and we can't afford to keep on doing this, because in all these years I've been here, it's never been this bad.

“And we have to really stick together and start putting in performances and winning games, simple as that. If the performance is not there, then we have to win the game, simple. So, yeah, that's what we have to do.”

Asked if the team is still playing for Martin, Tavernier responded: “First and foremost, the players have to play for the shirt, they have to play for the badge, 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.”

Tavernier, however, refuted any suggestion that Martin is solely to blame for Rangers’ wretched run of form. “No chance,” the skipper continued. “He picks 11 players to start the game and we have to perform on that pitch.

“We had a long, hard chat after the Brugge game and we responded in terms of performance level better against Celtic. But it can't be a light switch and for us to choose when our performance levels are high, because you've got to earn the right, first and foremost, in football.

“Against any opposition who you play, you've got to earn the right. It doesn't matter if it's a cup game against a lower league team, or it's a league game. You have to earn the right, first and foremost. We didn't do that.”

Quizzed as to whether there is anger in the dressing-room, Tavernier added: “I would believe so. Coming in after that game, it's embarrassing. It's 2-0 at home. It's not really to create much chances. Obviously, some of the decisions, I felt, could have gone differently. The first goal, our goal. But that's still no excuses for the general game today.

“It hurts, and so it should. But we, as a team, cannot go astray and start going by ourselves. We have to really stick together and prove a point to the fans.”