On a day when the Rangers support appeared to lose all faith in resurrecting a Scottish Premiership title challenge, the faith of many when it comes to Steven Gerrard is being seriously tested.
The Liverpool legend is coming under increasing pressure for dramatically slipping out of the title race, dropping ten points since the turn of the year, eight of them from winning positions.
But despite the increasing frustration gathering behind the Gers gaffer, his management team and the playing staff, the situation calls for perspective.
And not just in regards to where we were and where we are.
Having digested the last few hours, it remains difficult to shake off the bipolar frustration of these last few months.
Rangers are not a bad team – they proved that on Thursday night against Braga and against almost every stern test they have faced under Steven Gerrard, Celtic included.
Where it is going wrong for Gerrard – and where it always has – is against stubborn, jobber sides who make up for their lack of technical ability with a work-rate and determination his side can’t match.
Hard-work, determination and individuals taking responsibility for their roles on the pitch have saw inspired Hearts, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and now St. Johnstone take points off us.
We haven’t lost this league title against Celtic.
But that said, we haven’t won it against them either.
From the coaching staff to the playing staff, Rangers are suffering from a lack of experience of Scottish football’s gritty tactical style, and complacency, at this stage seemingly rife in the backroom staff.
For too long Rangers refuse to be pragmatic in their formations, sticking to a 4-3-3 which regularly lacks urgency or creativity.
The players too seem more than willing to battle it out on the Europa League stage but struggle to pull up their sleeves and get stuck in on domestic soil.
For me, this is a style of football and approach that we must get our heads around. Enough stuffing square pegs in round holes. Doing the same thing time-and-again clearly is not working.
We cannot keep taking the opposition for granted.
If we can develop better edge into our game, if we can be proactive instead of reactive in our in-game management from the bench, we can give ourselves a greater chance in winning titles.
But that needs to be in every match, from Celtic to McDiarmid Park.
