Alan Hutton makes Rangers mental strength admission

The former right-back, who has experienced challenging periods at the club, believes the present team lacks the resilience needed to overcome tough times.

Hutton was part of the Rangers squad that went winless for 10 matches under Alex McLeish, eventually finishing third behind Celtic and Hearts.

He also played during Paul Le Guen's troubled tenure, which ended after a few months.

Despite these challenging periods, Hutton said there were always strong characters like Barry Ferguson who could rally the team and help them push through.

He doesn't see that same spirit in the current squad.

Hutton said: "It's horrible.

"I've been there with Le Guen as well and it was difficult.

"You're out there playing, you're trying to do your best and you feel the weight of the world is on your shoulders.

"But you need characters to go through that.

"We had characters.

"Yes, it was difficult, but we had some really strong players that you could lean on, especially me as a young boy at the time.

"So you had your Barry Fergusons and all these kind of guys that really knew what it was all about and could drag you forward."

Hutton pointed out the off-field issues, including the situations with Raskin and Igamane, which don't help the current squad's morale.

He described them as a "team full of young boys, a lot of them coming from England," and acknowledged the difficulty they face in overcoming their current challenges.

He said: "You can see they're playing with a nervousness."

Hutton also drew parallels between the current situation and Paul Le Guen's reign.

Despite liking Martin, he sees similarities in how things are unfolding.

He recalled how Le Guen attempted to improve things by intensifying the players' training regime.

Hutton said: "He just made it harder.

"I remember, I remember, like from pre-season on we were doing three training sessions a day.

"And people might look at that and say, three sessions.

"But it was really hard.

"He said that he used to run the marathons, if you remember.

"He said it was good for your mind.

"So even if we were tired, he said, no, this is good for your mind.

"And he just pushed and pushed and pushed.

"What happens eventually is the boys start to turn.

"'This isn't working.

"Don't like the training, this is whatever.'

"Nobody downed tools, but you can just see that it's not working, you're not on the same page.

"So that's where it came to an end."