Rangers face must-win Cup clash with Hibs as Martin's future hangs in the balance

Rangers face a win-or-bust Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Hibernian on Saturday, with former Ibrox star Alan Hutton warning there will be no way back for manager Russell Martin if the club exits the competition.

Martin has failed to win any of his first five league games, and chairman Andrew Cavenagh is due to fly in from the United States to attend the Ibrox showdown as supporters plan protests before kick-off. "I can’t see it," Hutton said of a potential late exit. "To be honest, I liked listening to Russell at the very start. He’s calm, calculated and knows what he likes but that’s not translating to what’s happening on the pitch. If the result doesn’t go their way then I don’t personally see any way back."

Hutton also described the board — including CEO Patrick Stewart and Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell — as facing a tough test. He said: "They need to change direction quickly. They are sitting 10th in the league! However you look at it that’s not good enough." He added: "People talk about Celtic, and they have their issues, but they are winning games. And that’s all that matters."

Asked about chairman Andrew Cavenagh’s decision to attend the match, Hutton said: "Andrew is here for a reason. I don’t mean that he’s just here to get rid of him [Martin]. If something doesn’t go well then he’s here for a reason. If I was in Russell Martin’s shoes I’d be worried that he’s there." He stressed the importance of the owners’ stance as the club confronts growing discontent from the stands. "It’s a huge test for the new owners. They’ve backed the manager. The fans aren’t stupid. They are now asking questions of the owners, Patrick Stewart (CEO) and Kevin Thelwell (Sporting Director). When they start voting with their feet then it becomes very difficult. And I think it’s right he is there. He has to show face and front up. He is going to get a real feeling of what things are like inside Ibrox. He has to reassure fans of what the plan is going forward."

Martin’s relationship with Nicolas Raskin remains unresolved. The Belgian impressed on international duty but was left out of the Old Firm derby before the international break and watched last weekend’s defeat to Hearts from the stands as he continues to be frozen out at Ibrox. "Nico is a player Rangers should be looking to build the squad around," Hutton said. "I think after coming out and talking to him after the international break, he should have been in the squad (for the Hearts game). Not necessarily starting as Russell wanted to keep the same starting XI from Celtic, which is fine, but having him in the squad would have squashed any issue there. But it just keeps rumbling on and that doesn’t help anyone."

Martin also gave the squad a team-bonding outing to Loch Lomond on Monday, a move that drew mixed reactions. Hutton admitted he wouldn’t have approved of such a session in his playing days, but acknowledged the aim was to unite a squad under pressure. "I wouldn’t have been happy with that, I’m not going to lie," he laughed. "You get the team out and try to bond. But I just feel with the way the situation is at this moment in time, everyone was going to jump on it - and they did. Others will be out saying you should be out training and working hard on what you want to do for the next game." The broader friction around Raskin has done little to ease the tension surrounding Saturday’s clash.

Hibs, by contrast, arrive in good form and are expected to go for the win at Ibrox, further challenging a Rangers side that has faced scrutiny from supporters and pundits alike as questions about direction and leadership ripple through the club. The quarter-final therefore holds outsized importance: a victory could steady the ship and protect Martin’s role for now, while a defeat would intensify the pressure on both manager and board as the new ownership group weighs its next steps in a season already off script.

If the cup tie does not go Rangers’ way, the atmosphere at Ibrox and the political dynamics among the ownership group could accelerate a judgment that had already begun in the stands. Yet as Cavenagh’s presence underscores, those overseeing the club are watching closely, and the result on Saturday will shape the early narrative of the new era at Rangers as much as it will determine the immediate fate of the manager.