Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart have been sacked following Rangers’ poor start to the season, as decided by Ibrox chief Andrew Cavenagh. The duo were behind the appointment of Russell Martin as head coach and a £40million squad overhaul during the summer.

However, the expensive revamp turned out to be a catastrophe, leading to the dismissal of the former Southampton boss after 122 tumultuous days. A shaky start to the season, both domestically and in Europe, has sparked angry protests from the fans, targeting sporting director Thelwell and chief executive Stewart, even after Martin was replaced by Danny Rohl.

Now, chairman Cavenagh and his partner from the San Francisco 49ers, Paraag Marathe, have determined that a change is necessary.

Thelwell and Stewart have immediately left the club, and the American pair are now on the hunt for their successors. Former chairman Fraser Thornton will serve as acting CEO while the club compiles a list of potential replacements for Stewart.

The news that Thelwell had appointed his son Robbie as head of recruitment caused an uproar, but the former Norwich scout will stay in his position alongside two of Thewell Snr’s former Everton colleagues, technical director Dan Purdy and head of scouting Nathan Fisher. They will all now support Rohl as the new German boss gears up for the January transfer window.

The new owners acknowledge they face mounting pressure to make the correct appointment following a turbulent beginning to their tenure in Glasgow, which has left Rangers languishing in fourth place in the Premiership and at the foot of the Europa League table.

In a statement, Cavenagh said: “Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell are leaving Rangers Football Club.

“Responsible change is measured and steady. Our first priority has been to improve the sporting performance, and that led to our decision to part ways with Russell [Martin] and bring in Danny [Rohl].

“Danny has now started the process of improving the on-pitch performance, and that has given us the chance to focus on other parts of the club.

“Patrick and Kev are both skilled executives and have delivered a lot for the club in their time with it.

“We’ve now had six months since we became part of Rangers to assess the club’s needs as well as to get to know Patrick and Kev a bit more. Simply put, when we think about what we need in both CEO and sporting director today, it’s different than who we think Patrick and Kev are.

“We want people that align with the vision for the next chapter.”

Stewart came under fire from supporters after approving a statement which condemned a fan banner displayed during a Europa League fixture against Fenerbahce at Ibrox last season.

Yet it was his call to stand by Philippe Clement last term following a humiliating Scottish Cup elimination at the hands of Championship battlers Queen’s Park, only to dismiss him a fortnight later, that truly turned public sentiment against him.

The Aberdeen-born executive repeated this pattern during the current campaign when he and Thelwell opted against sacking Martin following a record-equalling 6-0 thrashing by Club Brugge in Champions League qualifying.

Whilst Thelwell’s appointment preceded Cavanagh and Marathe’s arrival in Scotland, the American pair gave it their blessing.

Yet it turned out to be a catastrophic choice as the former Everton director of football inexplicably spent millions weakening last season’s already unsuccessful squad.

However, the £8m acquisition of Youssef Chermiti, a forward who hadn’t found the net in senior football for 28 months prior to his Glasgow switch, proved the breaking point for the furious Ibrox faithful.

Though the chairman declined to condemn either individual.

His statement continued: “I will not throw dirt on either of them. I think very highly of them both on personal and professional levels. It’s just the reality that the club needs different things today than it did six months ago.

“We’ve already started the hiring process and hope to have appointments soon, but we will prioritise quality and fit over speed. I want to reassure our supporters that Danny will continue to have all the support that he needs. In the interim, Fraser Thornton, our director, will be assuming the duties as acting CEO.

“Change like this is always painful, especially when it involves people we care about. But at the same time, we’re very excited about this opportunity to bring in fresh leadership to this great club. We appreciate everyone’s continued support.”