It seems bonkers to suggest Rangers would have settled for six at the break, but given Brugge’s final goal came with 40 minutes remaining, it is a realistic thought.
The relentless hosts ended the match with 32 shots, 26 of which were inside the Rangers 18-yard area.
They also had 70 touches in the opposition box. Martin’s side had zero.
Sunday’s first Old Firm derby of the season against Celtic offers Rangers the chance to put a torrid night behind them, but many fans will not want to see Martin in the dugout.
The former Southampton manager revealed he is dealing with a squad that has “disrupted harmony”, but he remains convinced he can turn things around.
Although many supporters have lost patience at such an early stage, Martin says the Rangers hierarchy “understand this might take time”.
The head coach is now aiming to use the “pain and humiliation” as “fuel” for the derby.
“The manner of defeat tonight is not acceptable and hurtful,” Martin added. “But I have no other choice but to keep working and keep focused.
“The weight is heavy on the group and we need to take that off them and move forward. I need to take everything that is thrown at me and so do the players.
“But it’s my responsibility to accept all of it. It won’t affect the work we do moving forward.
“I don’t think we need to win on Sunday to secure my job, we need to win to make ourselves feel better and make the fans feel better, and to give them a performance they can be proud of.”