Andrew Cavenagh’s visit is ominous for Rangers boss Russell Martin – Alan Hutton

Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton believes Russell Martin should be worried amid reports that chairman Andrew Cavenagh is making an unscheduled visit from the United States.

Hutton claims there will be no way back for the head coach if Rangers exit the Premier Sports Cup against Hibernian at Ibrox on Saturday.

Rangers sit 10th in the William Hill Premiership after failing to win any of their first five league games under Martin and a home defeat by Hearts on Saturday saw fans vociferously call for his removal.

Martin has only won three of his first 12 games in charge, one of them against Alloa in the previous round, and Hutton believes talk of the arrival of Cavenagh, who led the American takeover of Rangers this summer, is an ominous development for the head coach.

Speaking to reporters after performing the draw for the Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup, Hutton said: “It would worry me, in the back of my mind. I can only put myself in Russell Martin’s shoes, if that was me and that’s the way it was going.

“They said it’s unscheduled, he wasn’t planning to be at this game. So if that was me and I’m the manager, I’m saying right, well, we need a performance, we need a real good showing, goals, everything to just click. Because if not, it’s looking very dangerous.”

The Rangers FC Fan Advisory Board revealed on Wednesday night that the club continued to back Martin despite being “forcibly challenged” on that stance during a meeting involving chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

But protests are planned outside and inside Ibrox on Saturday and Hutton suspects directors might change their stance when ire is directed towards them.

“It sounds like Cavenagh had spoken to Russell Martin on Sunday and said that he was the man to move it forward at this moment in time,” Hutton said.

“But the fans, they’re not stupid. They understand what’s going on. Then they start looking beyond that: Patrick Stewart, they start looking at him and wanting answers from him and then so on and so forth. Thelwell, who he’s brought in, they’re looking at that as well.

“So I think they all come under that umbrella where it’s not just the manager now, they’re asking questions of the hierarchy and when the fans start voting with their feet, that’s when it becomes really difficult.”

Hutton added: “I’m always one that said that the kind of rinse and repeat thing needs to stop at some stage, the constant changing of managers, changing of players, it needs to change.

“But when you’re not winning and performances aren’t there, then it becomes really difficult.

“So if he goes into the game on Saturday and it doesn’t go the way that he wants and you’re now out of the cup as well, that’s a problem. If the result doesn’t go their way, I personally don’t see any way back.

“I don’t like speaking about things like that, I don’t want to see anybody losing their job, but when the fans turn it’s very difficult to get it back.”