Gio van Bronckhorst's team might have been much improved against Napoli but after a third heavy defeat in a row, the alarm bells are continuing to ring.
It hasn't been the start to the season many envisioned at Rangers after their European heroics last season. Having shipped seven goals without reply against Ajax and Napoli, that run to Seville looks a relic of the distant past amid their Champions League woes - and they now need to come out swinging against Liverpool after the international break to stand any chance of playing European football after Christmas.
It hasn't been a whole lot more rosey domestically either. And while it's not all doom and gloom just yet, another Old Firm thumping at the hands of Ange Postecoglou's Celtic have them already trailing in the title race and facing an uphill battle to reel the defending champions back in. Gers face Dundee United on Saturday in their last chance to put things right before the break, and anything but a win will see Van Bronckhorst come under serious scrutiny during the international shutdown.
And ahead of that one, Record Sport have taken a look at what some of the most influential names around Ibrox have had to say.
Defensive turbulence
On paper, there hasn't been anywhere near as much upheaval in Rangers' back line as was anticipated. Calvin Bassey's departure left a hole for sure, but Connor Goldson surprised a few by penning a new deal, and the arrivals of John Souttar and Ben Davies should have been enough to plug the Bassey-shaped gap.
Neither have had much of a look-in so far due to fitness issues though and legendary striker Mark Hateley reckons it's alarming that Van Bronckhorst has been forced to "chop and change" with his starting XI this early in the season as he looks to find a rhythm. He told Onling Betting Guide : "Rangers obviously need to keep clean sheets. I think they have had a problem since Filip Helander has been injured, the sale of Leon Balogun, two international centre-backs.
"And then James Sands, who is a natural midfield player, came into play alongside Connor Goldson. I think that's probably where the problem lies. The team has been chopped and changed this season and there's been no real settled 11. That tells me that the confidence and reliability of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s players is under question at the moment that's why it's been changed so many times."
Transfer record
A significant chunk of the Bassey cash was spent on Davies from Liverpool and Ridvan Yilmaz from Besiktas, but between the new duo they haven't yet managed 300 minutes of football across all competitions. And for former Ibrox defender Craig Moore reckons it's worrying that youngster Leon King was the go-to man ahead of any of the new defensive arrivals to come off the bench after James Sands was red-carded against Napoli.
He said on Go Radio : "I think where fans are scratching their heads a little bit is when you bring in and you recruit players you're looking to improve that best 11. Leon King, who I'm a big fan of, I think he's a real competitor and has a right chance of having a really good career for himself. He comes on in what is a massive, massive game which is great confidence from the manager through to the player to trust him.
"But you've got a player who you've signed for £4million on the bench. And if he is on the bench, for me, you're fit and ready to go. And then you've got Ridvan Yilmaz who is another £6million. For me, he's behind Barisic. So there is £10million at the moment that looks nowhere near the first team, the starting XI."
Future recruitment
On a similar vein, Record Sport columnist Barry Ferguson reckons there has been a "spectacular" failure to reinvest funds wisely following Bassey and Joe Aribo's departures. And while he was pleased to see the old guard in Allan McGregor and Steven Davis prove their worth against Napoli, he's worried about what that means for the future.
He wrote in his Record Sport column : "It’s not been close to good enough. "Who should carry the can for that? Only Gio and director of football Ross Wilson know who gets the final say when it comes to identifying new players. But what Wednesday night reconfirmed is that Allan McGregor and Steve Davis are still two of the most influential, talented and important players at the club. And these guys were my team mates 13 years ago!
"That suggests two things. First, there has been a fairly spectacular failure to reinvest funds wisely, especially as the cash has rolled in over the last 12 months. But, also, that these two players are exceptional professionals and that, even at this stage in their careers, they remain worth their weight in gold."
Champions League quality?
And while the performance levels against Napoli were far better than a week prior against Ajax, Derek Ferguson reckons they are still far from being able to compete at the elite level of European football. He said on Open Goal : "You're excepted to be competitive. He's got to do better, and this is why a couple of weeks ago when he (Van Bronckhorst) said he was happy with his squad, we were all scratching our heads.
"We thought 'no, you can always improve, you always look to improve', and I cannot understand why they didn't go into the market. I don't know whether it's if the board are holding them back in terms of giving them the financial clout behind them, but they should have. The squad is not good enough to be at the Champions League level at the minute."
Title race
With five points separating Celtic and Rangers at the six-game mark, there is already a feeling the Ibrox side cannot afford to cede any more ground. Hateley reckons the international break may have come at the right time for his old team who can now regroup and look to claw it back when things recommence in October. First though they need to beat Dundee United - and Hateley reckons falling further behind by dropping points would be curtains for Van Bronckhorst's title hopes.
He added: "The league title race could be done if Rangers slip up against Dundee United. Celtic have a really strong squad this season. Ange Postecoglou last season did remarkably well. It was an exceptional turnaround of players and performance in his team. And the performances have continued with a stronger squad this season.
"Rangers are chasing the league already so early into the season and I think the international break will come at the right time for Rangers, maybe not the right time for Celtic, because they'll just want to keep pouring on the pressure. Rangers cannot afford to drop any points."
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