Keevins baffled by what he's heard publicly said about Rangers boss Martin

Russell Martin already has odds stacked against him after being appointed as Rangers manager by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises.

The Gers endured an underwhelming season under Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson, and fans have high expectations following the US consortium's takeover.

Martin has a massive task on his hands at Ibrox ahead of next season as he looks to find a solution for the Glaswegian outfit's inconsistency.

The ex-Southampton boss must compete with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership in the upcoming campaign, but some supporters aren't too confident about the Bears' prospects.

Martin a 'second-rate manager' as Rangers predicted to struggle in Scottish Premiership

Hugh Keevins was baffled to hear a Gers fan on the radio calling Martin a "second-rate manager".

The veteran journalist also heard the supporter predict the Light Blues would struggle to finish in the Scottish Premiership's top six after the 39-year-old head coach's appointment at Ibrox.

Keevins backed the 39-year-old head coach and termed the Champions League second round qualifying fixture against Panathinaikos a must-win for him.

The journalist wrote in the Record (21 June): "I came back from the Highlands last Monday, having watched two of my grandsons perform at Lochaber Provincial Mod. Then I turned on the radio and wondered if I was still dealing with the linguistic problem of not understanding a word.

"A Rangers supporter denounced Martin as a 'second-rate manager' and said Rangers would be lucky to finish in the Premiership’s top six. It was a cultural rather than a language barrier confronting me. My grandkids aren’t Gaelic speakers, but had learned their competition piece phonetically.

"The radio caller, on the other hand, was word perfect when it came to unfounded speculation. Martin has enough to worry about without fretting over guesswork. He faces a must-win match at Ibrox against Panathinaikos next month in his first competitive match."

Cavenagh and 49ers must back Martin at Ibrox

Cavenagh and the 49ers have promised significant investment at the Gers this summer, and that will be necessary for their success next season.

Martin could soon have Max Aarons at his disposal after the Light Blues agreed a loan deal for the Bournemouth right-back, and he could be their second signing after Lyall Cameron.

The Glaswegian outfit evidently need to further reinforce their squad before facing Panathinaikos, as several areas need to be addressed.

John Souttar underwent surgery recently and could be a doubt for the Champions League match, leaving Martin with a headache.

Leon Balogun has left the Gers, and Robin Propper could also be on his way out as FC Twente work on his return to the Netherlands.

Cyriel Dessers' future at Ibrox is uncertain, as AEK Athens are interested in signing him, but it remains to be seen whether the Light Blues are open to losing their top goalscorer from last season in the coming weeks.

Martin seemingly wasn't the first choice at the Glaswegian outfit, with Steven Gerrard and Davide Ancelotti being heavily linked with them, but fans must now get behind the Scottish head coach as he hopes to knock Celtic off their perch.