On the day he was appointed Rangers head coach, Russell Martin admitted: "I have to try and convince people that I'm the right person."
He also acknowledged that "we need to find a way to win whilst we're developing", as he hoped to create some "energy and momentum".
However, there have been more draws and defeats than wins, while 'anxiety and stuttering' seem more accurate than the positive 'energy and momentum' Martin wanted.
His first eight competitive matches as Rangers boss have left many supporters with more questions than answers, and some even questioning if he should remain in his post.
That outlook is premature, with Martin himself acknowledging "the club's bounced around with different ideas, different plans, been hinged on emotion, making decisions just on a quick reaction. So now we have owners and a leadership team that understand where the club's been and where it's at and where it needs to go to, but they also understand that's not going to come without a bit of pain."
Martin insists he is "enjoying" his time at Ibrox and wants to be "judged in May", adding "by then we'll be in a really good place". However, when you look at the recent managerial tenures at Ibrox - he knows to last until May, things need to improve, both in performances and results.
How have results gone?
In short, and on the whole, they have been disappointing.
Rangers got things underway by progressing past Panathinaikos in their opening Champions League qualifier - but they rode their luck at times.
That luck continued into their opening league game of the season, but not how you may expect. Martin admitted his team "were lucky to get a point" at Fir Park, before slamming the attitude and mentality of his players as they drew 1-1.
The jeers of Fir Park did turn into cheers at Ibrox days later as Martin got the reaction he wanted during a brilliant 3-0 win over Viktoria Plzen in their next European encounter. Many fans expected their team to kick on and progress. They are still waiting.
It took an injury-time James Tavernier penalty to snatch a draw at home to Dundee, a result again met with boos from the crowd. They lost in the Czech Republic but progressed past Plzen thanks to that first-leg win and they were unconvincing again as they struggled past third-tier Alloa Athletic at Ibrox in the League Cup.
Of their three wins to that point, two came in Europe at home - so fans had hope they could get a result against Club Brugge in their Champions League play-off first-leg.
That hope was extinguished after just seven minutes when Rangers were 2-0 down, and it looked like things could get ugly when it was 3-0 with 20 minutes on the clock. Rangers did rally and pulled one goal back in the second half, but it was that first-half performance that has left fans with concerns heading into a huge couple of weeks.
Why have results not been better?
A lot was made of Martin's style and philosophy before he took the job at Ibrox. Questions were raised if it would work against a low block that Rangers often face domestically. Fans were also worried he would not adapt during games if plan A didn't work.
Well, the first eight games have not done much to quell those concerns.
There are new partnerships across the backline that need time to gel. However, at times they have been far too open and required big saves from goalkeeper Jack Butland.
In half of those games, the opposition have managed to take more shots at the Rangers goal than Martin's side had in the match. Panathinaikos managed 34 across both legs, Motherwell had 14 in the league opener and Viktoria Plzen managed 14 at Ibrox, plus 27 in the away tie. It is a worrying trend.
Although there were some unnerving moments, the performance against Viktoria Plzen at Ibrox was more of what Martin and the fans have wanted. Rangers were aggressive, showed high levels of intensity with the ball, they attacked their opponents, there were plenty of runs in behind and there were goals.
Consistency is the next requirement. Aside from an expected win over third-tier Alloa in the cup, Rangers are yet to taste victory since that performance. There's no doubt going forward - with new signings Djedi Gassama and Oliver Antman on the wing - that Rangers fans could be entertained. However, they need a complete display at both ends of the park.
What lies ahead?
It has been an eventful four weeks or so as Martin's side were thrown into the deep end across three competitions. However, the month will be even more crucial.
Three huge league games await, featuring a game against St Mirren that Rangers initially wanted called off to better prepare for Europe. That went out the window when they fell behind their rivals after just two games. Then it's a huge first Old Firm clash of the season at Ibrox and after the international break, Hearts visit Ibrox as they bid to split the Old Firm this season.
Alongside that, there's the second leg of that Club Brugge tie which will determine the European competition Rangers feature in. If they can turn it around, the riches of the Champions League await. If not, the familiar path of the Europa League lie ahead.
At the end of the upcoming stretch of games is their League Cup quarter-final against Hibernian. Silverware is a must at Rangers, so the importance of that won't be lost on the fans and squad.
'Martin will see upcoming games as an opportunity'
Sky Sports News' Gordon Duncan:
"The first half against Club Brugge was an absolute disaster. Russell Martin speaks about knowing there will be a bit of pain. For Rangers fans, there is just too much pain in the early stages. It is one thing losing but the manner of it and the capitulation early on, fans leaving midway through the first half, booing at half-time and full-time. The second half got better, and on paper, they've kept the tie alive but it feels like the start to the game is what Rangers fans will cling onto. It is not in isolation either, dropping points to Motherwell and Dundee in the Scottish Premiership, even some of the games in Europe and the League Cup win - Rangers have not been at their fluent best. This felt like an accumulation for Rangers fans and the frustration was clear for all to see and hear.
"Russell Martin will look at the fixtures ahead and see it as an opportunity to turn things around but it is a very tricky fixture list. The Club Brugge tie is still to come, but before that going away to St Mirren on Sunday. Rangers were going to postpone that game to give themselves the best chance of navigating the European ties but then things became tricky in the league, they fell behind the decision to postpone that game and it was put on the back burner. It is a notoriously difficult place to go.
"After those games, it is the date all fans have circled, August 31 - Celtic at Ibrox. We all know that is about more than just the three points.
"The next few weeks could be crucial for Rangers. If you are a glass-half-full optimist like Russell Martin, you see it as a chance to show what you are capable of. If you are a glass-half-empty type, you might see Rangers' season being all but over by that point. It is a vital period coming up."
Boyd: Players playing for themselves, not the team
Following the defeat to Club Brugge, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd on Sky Sports:
"Rangers have got a huge league game on Sunday in Paisley [against St Mirren].
"There are so-called leaders within that Rangers team to lead by example but they never done that in the first-half against Club Brugge. It was embarrassing - to be 2-0 down after seven minutes and 3-0 down after 20 minutes - there is nothing to be positive about for Rangers after that game.
"The sad thing about it is, it is the same mistakes that seem to be happening time after time for Rangers. People not doing their jobs, not playing as a team collectively and looking after themselves. That would be a worry. For any team, it doesn't how good you are - you have to work as a team, be hard to beat. I don't think this Rangers team have got that. They are so open and easy to play through."
The fans view...
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Rangers podcaster and author Martyn Ramsay said:
"He had to hit the ground running for thousands of fans who pretty much made up their mind immediately. If he is to turn this around, it would be one of the most remarkable stories in the club's history.
"If we lose the Old Firm game and there is a disaster in the League Cup, it will feel that way [that the season is over].
"The Club Brugge game felt like the end of days that we've experienced over the past few years, with fans reaching the end of their patience, but on August 19. To detached readers, that will be ridiculous but that is just life here.
"If you are going to try rip up a culture that is weak, and it really has not been good enough for some time, and move to a style of football that the new owners want - that is not going to be done in jig time.
"Rangers' recruitment looks okay in some of the most supplementary areas of the pitch, especially out wide. However, we still lack a core spine of players from goalkeeper to number nine that are reliable, consistent, confident, inspire the rest of the dressing room and make dressing rooms around the country realise this is a game changer. I don't care who the manager is - without that spine throughout the team, this can't be changed.
"I think the fans have made their minds up [over Russell Martin]. They will change if results change, that is the nature of football fandom. However, the conversations I am in on a daily basis - I have been used to that after a manager has had a year and it has not worked out and you get to the end of that cycle, not after a few weeks.
"What has changed and is going to be very interesting… the previous owners were wealthy fan investors and would always respond to fan pressure. I wonder if [the new owners] with that sense of detachment if they will say no, we know the situation here, we know how long this will take and we are going to hang fire."
