Few people can truly relate to the position Russell Martin finds himself in at this moment in time, but Mark Warburton is certainly one of them.

Warburton led Rangers for almost two years, achieving promotion from the Scottish Championship and securing the Scottish Challenge Cup during his tenure at Ibrox.

He also knows what it is like to win an Old Firm derby, something which would be monumental for Martin given the current state of affairs.

They were also thumped 9-1 on aggregate by Belgian side Club Brugge in their Champions League qualifier, heaping further pressure on the manager.

The Rangers Supporters’ Association, a major fan group, has already advocated for Martin’s replacement as head coach. Although Warburton understands the challenges facing the former Southampton coach due to his short time in the role, he believes the intense pressure is something Martin should have anticipated.

Mark Warburton tries to encourage the Rangers team during his near two-year spell in charge

Warburton and Brendan Rodgers embrace before an Old Firm derby match

Warburton understands the pressure Russell Martin is under, but says the current Rangers boss has no option but to win matches

‘He’s just been there for two minutes so, in terms of does he deserve time, he’s hardly put his foot through the door,’ Warburton said.

‘But he, having been there for a brief period as a player, will know the expectation.

‘Russell will know that to drop points, and to see Celtic, their arch-rivals, ahead already, he’ll know the pressure’s on, because that’s Rangers.

‘That’s not new. He’s been there two minutes, but you don’t get a lot of time at Rangers. You have to win.’

Following a successful initial season at Rangers, the pressure intensified for Warburton as his team struggled in the Premiership, lagging behind Celtic and suffering defeats against their Old Firm adversaries.

Warburton, experienced from his managerial roles at QPR, Brentford, and Nottingham Forest, and now serving as the sporting director and head of soccer at Sporting Club Jacksonville in the USA, is well-acquainted with high-pressure environments. Before football management, he managed substantial financial portfolios as a city trader, yet he asserts that managing Rangers stands out as a unique challenge.

‘It is quite unlike anything else I’ve known, and people outside of Glasgow, outside of Scotland, will not recognise that,’ he said.

Russell Martin looks crestfallen during this week’s hammering in Belgium, but now he has to rouse his team for Sunday’s Old Firm clash

Warburton with his former Ibrox assistant David Weir, who put him right on the huge expectations at the club

Rangers boss Russell Martin watches in disbelief as his team go down 6-0 to Club Brugge

‘I’ve had, in past interviews, people say, oh, they’re nowhere near Premier League clubs now.

‘Though Rangers and Celtic might not enjoy the financial influx of the Premier League, their potential impact is substantial. If they were placed in the Premier League or even the Championship, with equivalent financial resources, their fan support would be overwhelming, filling away stadiums. That reflects the magnitude of these clubs,’ he noted.

‘Despite lacking the financial backing of Premier League and Championship teams, the expectations from the fans are unequivocal. As David Weir pointed out, if Rangers face Barcelona at Ibrox tomorrow, their supporters will anticipate a victory.

‘That’s just how it is. If you’re nil-nil at half-time, you get booed off the pitch.’

Asked about the challenges of shutting out the external pressure and noise from fans and media in order to concentrate on the job at hand, Warburton admits it is not something that comes easily.

‘It is (difficult), but you’re playing in front of 50,000 at a top football stadium,’ he said. ‘That’s what you do.

‘You go to Ibrox with the Ibrox roar and the Battle Fever and everything else that goes on. The fans are so passionate. They just live and breathe football, and there’s a difference. Honestly, there is a real difference, and, you know, you come outside of it (the job), and you go, what was that all about?

‘Literally, you’re in a goldfish bowl in Glasgow, but it’s intense. The media, the radio, everything is geared toward football. So it’s a magnificent football city, and the Rangers fans are outstanding.

Warburton and Rodgers exchange greetings before a derby encounter in 2016

Warburton says the Rangers fans not only demand to win, but in some style too

Mark Warburton found himself under huge pressure from the moment he became Ibrox boss

‘But, as I say, you’ve just got to deal with it because you’re a Rangers manager. So you’ve just got to win games of football. They demand you win.

‘They demand you win with a style. So you’ve got to go and deliver on both fronts. And at the same time, you’ve got to have players who recognise it and have to play with the passion and intensity that the fans demand.

‘Because if you think back to the history and the shipyards and the workers, they’re hard men. You think of players like John Greig, these type of players, legendary players, these are hard men. Jock Wallace, etc.

‘So, you know, you need to deliver on all fronts. It’s not enough to go out there and scrape a 1-0 win. You need more than that to satisfy the Rangers fans.

‘Russell will know that. He’s very experienced and I’m sure that, hopefully, he’ll relish the challenge.’

Martin perhaps finds himself under even greater pressure than Warburton experienced, given how the former Norwich City defender has fared in his short spell in charge so far. Plus the fact that Warburton had previous success to point to when times did get tougher.

The current Rangers boss has no such luxury, but winning his first Old Firm derby would certainly be a start to repairing at least one problem.

Warburton knows better than most just how much pressure the Old Firm derby brings, but also just how significant it can be if you do manage to come away with a victory.

‘You literally have to win,’ he said. ‘You need to beat your Old Firm rival.’