FOR you cynics out there who have an unerring ability to read negativity between any lines, the 'compliment' might come across as being damned by the faintest of praise.

Russell Martin was yesterday described by Graeme Murty, his new manager at Rangers, as the "consummate professional" and while there are worse things for a footballer to be, it's hardly being hailed to the heavens as the best thing since that baker decide to cut up his loaves.

It's up there with "great lad", "good in the dressing room" and, worst of all, "a terrific team-mate" which is a tag less than brilliant players get from those who actually like them, but would stop short at talking up their footballing ability.

No Rangers supporter believes Martin, now 32, is the reincarnation of Richard Gough - the legendary former captain is very much alive, by the way - but a consummate and intelligent pro might just be what that dressing room needs from now until May.

Anyone who has dealt with Martin, and never did he not front up while on Scotland duty even after a bad game, will know what a solid bloke he is.

He won't cheat anyone. His attitude will be exemplary. If something needs said that it will come from this guy.

Indeed, his belief that both the club and himself could have some fun over his time at Ibrox, Martin has signed until the end of the season on-loan from Norwich City, was an encouraging start.

The experienced centre-half has played over 500 games at a good level and captained Norwich. He should be able to cope with the Scottish Premiership.

Murty, who previously worked with Martin at Norwich City, said: "He’s a character and a personality that I know very, very well. He leads by what he does and how he lives his life, and he is a consummate professional.

“We need that. We need strong characters in the group but we also need people who are going to hold others to account if they are not quite at the right standard.

“Not in a bad way or in a way to put people down. I’m not about people pointing out fault for people to make themselves look good.

“I want people who are going to hold others to account to make our practice better and to make others better on a daily basis. I believe Russell can be that kind of guy.

“I wanted to bring in someone that I know has high standards and can drive the standards of the group forward. As I said, I think we need more, better players who make the group better, and we also need people who are able to stand up in a tough changing room in tough circumstances and put forward their view forcefully in order to make us better.

“I think the more people we have like that and the freer they are talking to each other and challenging one another, and maintaining their standards, it’s to the betterment of the group."

Yesterday, the former Celtic player Kris Commons said that he'd always seen Martin as a right-back, and a good one at that, and it will be interesting to see where Murty plays him.

The Rangers manager said: “He offers stability, he offers experience and he offers a bit of versatility as well as he can play in a three, he can play as a centre-back and he can play as a right-back.

“He’s a steady kind of guy and a good talker. All of those things and all of those attributes add to the collective and add to the group. I’ve said to the players who have the shirt at the moment – they have a responsibility and a duty to make sure they perform well enough to keep it.

“I believe the players who have played have done that at times, but we need to make sure we do it consistently.

“When we do that, I think we will really show how good a team we can be.”

Rangers tend to show who good they can be against the better teams. This is a strange side which is impossible to second guess in terms of what they'll do next.

On Sunday, they are at Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup and Murty believes it's time his players show up in the less than glamorous fixtures.

Murty said: "I’ve said to the group all the way through that their top standard and their highest level is not a problem. We’ve seen what their high standard looks like against Aberdeen and against Celtic – we’ve seen what they can do.

“It’s the daily habits and how far they are willing to come away from that top standard in their daily life which will define what we do this season.

“I think the more people we have pushing that standard on a daily basis, the better.”

It's been a busy month for Rangers and they haven't finished yet.

Murty, who was speaking to Rangers TV, revealed: "By the end of the window, maybe. Things are ongoing and always ongoing in a transfer window.

“It’s a really, really busy time and I expect people to come and enquire about some of our players and I expect to enquire about other players.

“But, I obviously don’t think it’s right to talk about them until it’s done. Business is going on behind the scenes and work is being done.

“Talks and conversations are being had at a high level. It’s all to the good and it’s so I have as much of a headache as possible come selection time.

“It is a responsibility I don’t think I was ready for. But, looking at it now, I think it is one any manager would relish and should relish. We can move forward and we can be better than we were.”