Steven Thompson: Former Rangers striker sees 'endless problems' at Ibrox

Interim Rangers boss Graeme Murty has overseen successive defeats by Hamilton Academical and Dundee

Ex-Rangers striker Steven Thompson sees "endless problems" at Ibrox, after his former side suffered back-to-back Scottish Premiership defeats.

Rangers followed last week's 2-0 reverse at home to Hamilton Academical with a 2-1 loss at Dundee on Friday.

"I can't remember them losing back-to-back games against bottom-six teams before," Thompson told BBC Sportsound.

"Yes, they created opportunities, yes, they should have taken them, but they didn't."

Rangers created several goal-scoring opportunities before the break at Dens Park, but were undone by a Mark O'Hara second-half double either side of Josh Windass's strike.

"Rangers lack direction, they lack quality, and the support are lacking belief just now," Thompson continued.

"We don't know if they lack finance, but lack is a great word for Rangers right now.

"The second half was a different story. Rangers just lacked belief and penetration and quality in the final third, and Dundee smelt it. You have to give Dundee massive credit but for Rangers, there are endless problems."

'Rangers are lost, simply lost'

Graeme Murty remains in interim charge at Ibrox, over four weeks since Pedro Caixinha's sacking, with frontrunner for the managerial vacancy, Derek McInnes, insisting his future lies with Aberdeen earlier on Friday.

Rangers host the Dons on Wednesday, before travelling to Pittodrie a week on Sunday, 3 December.

"The manager situation is going to reach a head," Thompson said. "The supporters want answers, they want somebody in. It is a rudderless ship at this moment.

"They severely lack leadership and direction.

"What are Rangers right now? They are lost, simply lost, in terms of where Rangers should be. It is simply not good enough.

"There has to be accountability for that, but the first thing they need to do is get a manager in who can take what is there - which isn't that great - and make it better in the short term."

"It is going to be a big old week. Aberdeen will see this result and go down to Kilmarnock [on Sunday], where they have an excellent record, knowing they can stretch their lead [over Rangers] going into this double-header.

"You wouldn't back Rangers to beat Aberdeen after watching that tonight."

'They lack mental strength'

Another former Gers striker, Billy Dodds, echoed Thompson's assessment of the Ibrox outfit, and believes Murty's players are mentally fragile.

"They lack the mental strength to do something about it," he said. "It is rudderless, you can see it.

Hamilton's victory last weekend was their first league win at Ibrox in 91 years

"The players are just looking at one another and saying ,'I ain't going to do it'. It has to be sorted quickly. It must be frustrating for the fans. After years of getting taunted by Celtic fans, it isn't getting any better.

"Having played for Rangers, you know what it takes to get there. You are going to get beaten sometimes but you get beat in the right manner - you might not be playing well, but you keep going, the fans need to see there is quality there, there is desire and mental strength. But they went out with a whimper tonight."