By Sheryl RitchieAnother week, another controversy at Ibrox. The international break had briefly lifted spirits, with a productive end to the transfer window bringing in Bojan Miovski, Youssef Chermiti and Derek Cornelius, while international duty showcased encouraging displays from Thelo Aasgaard, Nico Raskin and a goal from Cornelius. For a moment, it looked like Rangers might potentially be turning a corner after a poor start to the season.But the optimism evaporated on the eve of this clash with Hearts. Attention centred once again on Raskin’s fractured relationship with manager Russell Martin. At his press conference on Friday, Martin confirmed the Belgian had returned to training but would not be involved, insisting: “He has a duty to make sure he earns the trust of all his other team-mates.” The decision sparked rumour, speculation and a frenzy of online debate, setting an uneasy tone ahead of the game.Martin resisted calls to start Cornelius or Chermiti and stuck with the same 4-2-3-1 that drew the Old Firm derby: Butland in goal; Tavernier, Djiga, Souttar and Meghoma at the back; Barron and Diomande anchoring midfield; Gassama, Aasgaard and Moore behind Miovski in attack.Hearts arrived in Glasgow missing record signing Eduardo Ageu and defender Frankie Kent but lined up in a positive 4-3-3: Schwolow in goal, a defence of McEntee, Halkett, Findlay and Kingsley, midfield trio Milne, Baningime and Devlin, with Braga and Kyziridis flanking captain Shankland up front.From the opening whistle, Hearts carried the greater intent. Symbolically, they lined up on the pitch alone as Simply the Best echoed around the stadium, with Rangers emerging late. That moment summed up much of what followed.Halkett tested his range early, firing over from distance, before Tavernier conceded a free kick on the edge of the box. The visitors were sharper, quicker into challenges and more confident on the ball. In contrast, Rangers’ midfield was overrun, repeatedly surrendering possession and second to every loose ball.It took only 21 minutes for Hearts to break the deadlock, Claudio Braga, having already tested the Rangers defence, set up Shankland, who initially looked to have handled the ball from the flick on from Braga, who fired a low shot past Butland to make it one nil to the visitors. A VAR check allowed the goal and the visitors went in ahead at the break with efforts from Aasgaard and Miovski easily dealt with.The home support grew restless as misplaced passes and laboured build-up drained any momentum. Rangers rarely troubled Schwolow and trudged into half-time to a chorus of frustration, having failed to register a meaningful attack.The second half saw Martin turn to his bench, replacing Djiga with Cornelius and Moore with Antman, but little changed. Rangers remained flat and disjointed, unable to find fluency or control.Barron’s withdrawal for Rothwell midway through the half was greeted by boos, yet the substitute briefly lifted the tempo, carrying the ball forward and linking play. The crowd sensed a shift, and Rangers finally threatened. Tavernier surged down the flank before sliding a perfect pass to Gassama, whose curling strike thundered off the post with Schwolow beaten.Moments later, Ibrox erupted when Cornelius bundled the ball home from close range — only for VAR to intervene. The goal was disallowed for a foul by Aasgaard on the goalkeeper, a decision met with fury by the Rangers support.Rothwell’s contribution ended prematurely when he limped off with a knee injury, Bajrami taking his place. Chermiti was also introduced for Meghoma as Martin searched for a breakthrough.But the decisive moment fell to Hearts. With eight minutes remaining, Diomande clipped Milne inside the area. After a VAR check, the referee pointed to the spot. Butland saved Shankland’s penalty, but the striker reacted quickest to bury the rebound, sparking jubilation among the travelling support and despair in the home end.Rangers’ best chance of a late response came when Bajrami rattled the bar from distance, but Hearts comfortably saw out the remaining minutes. As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Hearts fans chanted “Sacked in the morning” at Martin — chants soon echoed by much of the 50,697 crowd, a remarkable show of open defiance from the Rangers faithful.The boos at full-time gave way to a terse and uncomfortable press conference. Martin faced blunt questions about his position and whether he would resign. His answer was firm: “No.” He pointed to “2–3 wrong decisions” against his side, citing the disallowed Cornelius goal and a possible handball in the build-up to Shankland’s strike.Yet few inside or outside the club would accept refereeing calls as the reason for defeat. The lack of fight, cohesion and attacking intent was far more decisive. When pressed further on the hostility from supporters, Martin replied simply: “I don’t think many of them wanted me here in the first place.” It was a remark unlikely to cool the rising tensions around continual poor results and sub-standard performances.For Rangers, the pressure intensifies. With fan patience exhausted and confidence drained, next weekend’s League Cup tie at home to Hibernian already feels like a defining fixture in Martin’s tenure.