STURM GRAZ 2 RANGERS 1: Russell Martin is still caught in the eye of the storm as Ibrox side crash again in Europe

The seething masses intent on driving Russell Martin out of his job are unlikely to be laying down the pitchforks any time soon.

Having taken a small step on the road to redemption at Livingston, this latest reverse puts the Rangers manager right back where he started.

An opportunity for his side to secure back-to-back victories for the first time since he was appointed was passed up in typically calamitous fashion. His team seem incapable of getting up a head of steam.

Without a point from two Europa League fixtures, the level of hostility surrounding him is showing no sign of dissipating any time soon.

Even a win at Falkirk on Sunday will do nothing to change the view of his army of critics ahead of the international break.

While this display was far from the worst witnessed since he took charge, a sub-standard first-half show saw them concede two cheap goals.

Losing goals away from home these days is about as inevitable for the Ibrox side as Tuesday following Monday. Incredibly, not since December 8 last year have they kept a clean sheet on the road.

That’s a dismal run of 33 games, equalling the previous worst set in 1897. This isn’t the kind of history making Martin is looking to create.

While they will point to a few moments of promise at the other end, Rangers were again profligate when it counted. Coupled with a glass jaw of a defence, it’s little wonder the team are in such a dark place.

At times, in the first period, it was hard to discern exactly what Rangers were trying to do. Aside from hitting Djeidi Gassama and hoping he’d conjure up a moment of magic, there didn’t appear to be much of a game plan.

Whenever a central midfielder landed on the ball, they played it square and safe or gave it away.

Sturm Graz could hardly believe their luck. Provided they did the hard yards, they knew their opponents would gift-wrap opportunities for them.

For those supporters who’d made the trip from Scotland, it was another dispiriting watch. They barracked Martin before, during and after the game, but must feel like their lives are now on a loop.

At this stage in early October, Rangers have won five times in 16 outings. This isn’t getting any better.

The Merkur Arena holds just over 15,000 spectators, but those crammed inside made quite the din.

The home fans weren’t shy in reminding their visitors they took their scalp here in a Champions League game 25 years ago. ‘Come on boys - do it again,’ read a giant tifo.

There were meant to be just over 1,000 visiting fans but the section was below capacity. Many of the banners unfurled in their corner of the ground told a story of ongoing strife and a widening disconnect.

Give Martin his dues. When asked about the poor state of the park on Wednesday, he turned down the chance to get his excuses in early.

The surface wasn’t great to start with. And, from the very first whistle, it further deteriorated.

The same could soon be said of Rangers’ season. They were behind inside seven minutes.

Martin’s side were too slow to react to the danger posed by Maurice Malone when he gathered the ball in the left channel.

Allowed to advance, he looked up and picked out Tomi Horvat. Showing commendable awareness under pressure, he took one touch to steady himself then wrapped his foot around the ball.

His shot lacked both purchase and accuracy. Jack Butland ought to have kept it out. His weak hand didn’t prevent the ball finding the back of the net. Just the start Martin had dreaded.

Credit to the goalkeeper for going some way to redeeming himself a few minutes later.

Graz’s star man Otar Kiteishvili released Belmin Beganovic with a defence-splitting pass. Butland advanced quickly to close down the angle and save.

Asked to lead the line on just his second start, Youssef Chermiti spurned a decent chance to equalise.

Set up by some enterprising play down the left by Djeidi Gassama, the £8million man crashed a header off the underside of the bar.

The only spark Rangers had in the opening stages, Gassama then delivered a pacy low cross. Although Chermiti’s connection was good, keeper Oliver Christensen blocked his effort with his legs.

As is the way of things these days, Rangers gave up chances when there was no obvious danger. A lack of communication gifted another chance to Horvat. He drilled a left foot strike which Butland stooped to his right to save.

Any time it looked like Martin’s side were beginning to make progress, they turned the ball over and expended more energy hunting it down. Thelo Aasgaard and Oliver Antman seemed to invent new ways to give the ball away.

Among the litany of goals Rangers have conceded this season, there have been a few real shockers. The manner in which they fell two behind 10 minutes from half-time would have shamed a Sunday league team.

Defending a routine free-kick, all that was required of Martin’s players was that they stayed vigilant and did their jobs.

Even before Emanuel Aiwu took the free-kick, you could see what Kiteishvili was intending to do.

Running across Rangers’ back-line, he seemed to take Connor Barron by surprise. The moment he took control of the ball played through to him, the visitors were in big trouble. A cute finish by the Georgian playmaker put the tin lid on a miserable opening period for the Scots.

Martin hit the gamble button at the break, bringing on Bojan Miovski and Max Aarons for Antman and Jayden Meghoma.

The redeployment of Derek Cornelius at left back was pivotal in Rangers halving the deficit four minutes after the re-start.

The Canadian’s decoy run occupied a defender and gave Gassama scope to advance and work the ball back onto his right foot. A thumping strike from 20 yards beat the keeper at his near post.

It sparked something within Martin’s players. They played with purpose and aggression. Where had this been? Chermiti might well have equalised, but his shot from 15 yards out was weak.

Now it was Graz who were making the elementary errors and Rangers who looked more threatening.

Although Butland did well to block strikes from Horvat (twice) and Leon Grgic, Cornelius and John Souttar were both denied by Christensen in quick succession.

Martin threw on subs like a man throwing darts at a board. It became increasingly desperate.

Souttar thought he’d salvaged a point at the death until the keeper threw up an arm. His manager will claim his team deserved better. Many others will beg to differ.