Tom English sarcastically reacts to 'horrific' Rangers footage vs Alloa Athletic

Rangers should have been handed respite against Alloa Athletic in the Scottish League Cup, but Tom English has not been impressed.

Russell Martin called up Kieran Dowell for the nervy 4-2 victory, in what was called a baffling decision at Ibrox, given fan outrage against him.

While Rangers advanced in the Champions League, their domestic form has been nothing short of indifferent, and it continued on Saturday evening.

Now, worrying footage has emerged from Ibrox in what will be deeply concerning for Martin.

English slams Rangers defending for Alloa goal

Michael Stewart was not the only one to criticise Rangers' defending, with Bailey Rice called out.

A tie against lower league opposition seemed to be ideal for the Light Blues after two underwhelming draws against Motherwell and Dundee.

Although it is early in Martin's tenure, the last thing he needed was another disappointing display.

The former Southampton boss named a much-changed side for the clash with Alloa, clearly resting key players for bigger games ahead.

However, after taking the lead through Nedim Bajrami, the Scottish League One side pegged them back in comical fashion.

Joe Rothwell was the unfortunate man to be credited with an own goal, although it was a team effort.

"This is a piece of art in terms of horrible defending. Every time you look at it, you see something new," said English on 16 August.

Read more: Worries emerge as Russell Martin most likely successor named already at Rangers

Martin is learning heaps about his team already at Ibrox

While the defending was woeful for the first goal conceded against Alloa, it tells Martin plenty about his side.

These cup games are essentially an opportunity to experiment so that the manager can cast judgment over his fringe players.

Clearly, defending is an issue, and the 39-year-old will need to work on this on the training ground, with silly errors in and out of possession continuing.

Of course, there are positives, and it will have been promising to see Mikey Moore finally in Rangers action.

With bigger games ahead, Martin will have a better idea of exactly who is worthy of a starting berth, and who needs to be shown the exit door.

Sign up for the Ibrox News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Rangers news sent straight to your phone.