In the cafes and restaurants dotted around Graz’s picturesque main square, they’re firing up the giant gas heaters to allow the locals to continue dining al fresco of an evening. At the start of October, there’s a nip in the air.
Situated a 15-minute walk from the Hauptplatz, the atmosphere within the Merkur Arena on Thursday evening will also be frosty.
Whether taking charge of Rangers at Ibrox or on the road these days, Russell Martin’s relationship with the club’s supporters could generously be described as strained.
At Almondvale on Sunday, a rare moment of triumph for the embattled manager encapsulated exactly where he’s at right now.
Livingston had hardly re-spotted the ball in the centre circle following Max Aarons’ injury-time goal when three sides of the stadium ceased celebrating and resumed their call for the manager to immediately take his leave.
If there’s been a boss at any club in history with a lower popularity rating among his own support than the 39-year-old has right now, then no one can quite remember it.
Russell Martin is embraced by Livi boss David Martindale after Sunday’s away victory
Martin admits he left the pitch immediately after the final whistle so his players could ‘enjoy’ the victory with the fans
Martin seemed in a more content mood at training ahead of the Sturm Graz trip
Win, lose or draw, it seems the mob are angry and will remain so until they have their way.
‘I walked straight down the tunnel on Sunday because I wanted the players to enjoy it,’ Martin said.
‘They deserved to enjoy it. We deserved to win the game. Then I want the players to enjoy it.
‘And then people choose to turn their attention to me. I just wish at that point they could enjoy their team winning and the lads can enjoy it a bit more rather than having that energy towards me.
‘The only other thing I find sad is when I see the kids standing next to their dads and sticking their fingers up at me and swearing at me.
‘I don’t feel particularly sad about it for me. Listen, I’m here. We’ve made mistakes.
‘There’s been some tough moments, but we’re giving everything we’ve got to improve the club – as is Kevin (Thelwell), as is Patrick (Stewart), as are the owners.
‘And I think when you have so much change, I’ve said it before, it’s not an excuse, but I think it’s pretty evident it might take some time.’
Martin looked, for all the world, like the loneliest man on earth as the final whistle blew in West Lothian.
He contends, though, that the messages of support from all quarters have been plentiful.
‘Lots and lots,’ he added. ‘Lots of players who I’ve worked with as a coach, players I’ve played with, lots of other managers, domestically and down the road as well. But it is what it is.
‘I have to accept it. In the same way, I hope at some point it turns and maybe they’ll feel differently about the team and about me.
‘I respect the club by working as hard as I possibly can every day.
‘I give the players as much as I can every single day. I’d love to enjoy it with my team on the pitch at that point.
‘But right now, to walk down the tunnel is the best thing so the players can actually try and enjoy a victory.’
You wonder if there’s a small part of him which would rather be walking off into the sunset with a severance cheque in his back pocket.
Football managers are tough people, but Martin is only human. What gets him up in the morning knowing that the fanbase are so against him?
‘My whole career was built on proving people wrong,’ he added.
‘I think that is the challenge now. I really believe we can do that.
‘I think the evidence suggests that our teams get stronger the longer (they are together) and the more time we work.
‘We have to keep progressing, keep building and hopefully have some good results.’
You feel that nothing can now change the minds of the vast majority who never truthfully wanted him in the role in the first place.
To stand any chance of winning over any remaining floating voters, a woeful run of results certainly must be immediately arrested.
As welcome as Sunday’s win was, it was only a tiny step on a long road to redemption. Rangers have yet to win two games on the spin this season. Graz would be quite the place to tick that box.
For Martin to have any chance of getting three points on the board, his side must keep their discipline. After Aarons was sent off in Brugge, Mohamed Diomande saw red last week against Genk.
‘We have chatted about it,’ said the manager.
‘We have to accept there are going to be moments where you have to defend and are not going to have the ball in European games especially.
‘So, it’s about not getting anxious in that moment, about being really confident and clear about what you’re doing, having clarity in your actions.
‘I’m confident that the lads will learn from it.’
While the Austrians will be awkward opponents, they are the kind of outfit which a succession of Rangers managers have enjoyed success against down the years.
The form of Jurgen Saumel’s side has been patchy this season. They stumbled a couple of times early in the Bundesliga and have just moved up to second after victories against old foes RB Salzburg and Hartberg.
Europe, so far, has been a disaster. They were hammered 6-2 on aggregate in their Champions League play-off against Bodo/Glimt. Like Rangers, their opening Europa League fixture also ended in disappointment when they went down 2-0 to Midtjylland.
But they are still back-to-back champions of Austria. With star man Otar Kiteishvili likely to feature at some point, they’ll fancy themselves to get off the mark in the competition.
Twenty-five years ago, their manager Jurgen Saumel watched on television as Sturm Graz defeated Rangers 2-0 in the Champions League.
Back then, Dick Advocaat’s side contained names including Barry Ferguson, Arthur Numan and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
For those among the visiting throng who’ll recall that occasion, it must feel like it happened in a different age.
‘I have a fierce belief in the people I work with,’ Martin insisted.
‘That’s the people who have come with me and believe in what we do. I really believe in what we’re doing.’
