As Rangers drop yet more points in the title race, everyone from the players, to the management, to the club’s directors are getting both barrels from a frustrated support.
Rangers have now shipped 11 points from their last 24 and their current form is not worthy of a league title, with the club going from six points in front to three behind in the space of a month.
Stop trying to sugar-coat it. This has been a disastrous four weeks or so domestically and we’re hanging on to a title race by our fingernails, trust quickly evaporating in our bottle for the battle on domestic soil.
It has been an embarrassing capitulation for van Bronckhorst and his charges with the blame firmly at the feet of the club’s complacent coaching and playing staff.
For two weeks in a row, the stubborn Dutchman has refused to rotate Rangers’ bloated squad, experimenting with players out of position, form and steam, and paid the price as the club drop four points from their last six.
On the pitch, the players too are being told to shape up or ship out as they once again let down the support by failing to find their level on domestic duty and letting yet another lead slip.
This team held their nerve last season as Celtic’s collapsed but there’s that sinking feeling of déjà vu and fears the bottle is set to crash for the third time in four campaigns.
This will be the final nail in the coffin for many if it’s the case.
Rangers January business under microscope
In the boardroom, the club’s January window has also come under fire with the reputation of sporting director Ross Wilson firmly on the line in these last few months of the season.
Rangers failed to build on a position of strength and making four new signings in the window, it’s telling none of them were involved in the draw with Motherwell.
James Sands, Mateusz Zukowski, Amad Diallo and Aaron Ramsey did not – for whatever reason – influence proceedings at Ibrox as the careless Rangers team continue to chuck the club’s title defence.
It has led to major allegations that Rangers have gambled on this title – which boasts a likely £40m Champions League jackpot – and it is already beginning to backfire.
There is still time for these guys to make an impression this season, if not increasing nervousness that they won’t.
But as things stand, Rangers January signings are not making a contribution to winning the title whilst there remain numerous fringe players whose presence at Ibrox continues to perplex.
If Rangers don’t intend on using players like Jack Simpson, or don’t properly utilise assets like Kemar Roofe, then why wasn’t the squad properly trimmed and balanced back in January?
Whilst the players and the coaching staff are getting both barrels for the club’s latest nonsense – and quite rightly too – if things don’t change quickly Ross Wilson and the Rangers directors aren’t far off.
It’s their job to provide the necessary tools to go out there and deliver and in trusting a squad who have bottled the title race three years out of four, investing money instead on project players, the spotlight is also shining on them heading into the last few months of the season.
Meanwhile, Rangers could feel the knock-on effect of a major UEFA decision after the comments of one country’s president.
