After Rangers’ opening-day draw at Motherwell – on 2 August – Russell Martin contended that what was undermining his team was “not really tactical, it’s a mentality problem”.

Two months later, following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Sturm Graz on 2 October, he said: “It’s mentality, not a technical or tactical problem.”

There was a enervating familiarity about how the Rangers head coach explained away the outcome of the haphazard performance.

For the two months in between, there were countless Groundhog Days.

What was unfolding on the pitch for over two months was predictable, while Martin’s assessment continually had a sense of the inevitable about it too.

The slow start and shoddy defending that allowed Sturm Graz to take command of their Europa League tie also cost them in what turned out to be Martin’s last dance in the dugout during the 1-1 draw with Falkirk. Even that could have been a defeat.

They were cold, hard truths that had already long been exhausted by players, pundits and punters alike.

Former Ibrox right-back Alan Hutton slammed the second goal in Graz as “schoolboy stuff” from Rangers, as they allowed a simple free-kick to slice them open.

Martin, of course, pointed to mentality rather than the set-up of his defence who were wiped out by a daisy-cutter.

That was their second game in the Europa League. Their first, a 1-0 home defeat to Genk led to former players tumbling out disparaging words such as: Underwhelming. Predictable. Disillusioned. Out with a whimper. No belief. Out of ideas.

There was no relish within what they said. Not even much anger. Just sadness, regret and frustration.

In what proved to be his final post-match interview, Martin expressed his own frustration, but also hinted he had been too loyal to some of his starters.

He told Sky Sports he “loved” Connor Barron’s performance in particular, admitting he “maybe” gave some players too much action amid a myriad of problems.

Back in August, during that scathing Motherwell post-match interview, the former Scotland defender also said “some players have to drop their ego”.

A loyalty to certain members of his squad, his system that was never successful under his stewardship at Ibrox and his spiel has earned him the unwanted tag as the man to endure the shortest reign in the Rangers dugout.