Murty: Lessons will be learned

have to regroup and go again. I said to the players that every single person and their dog will tell us everything that we have done wrong and all the fundamental things that are wrong with the football club.

“We can’t afford to let one bad result wash away all the good work that we have done until this point.

“I have got a group of players in there that are hurting, that are frustrated and that wanted to do better.

“We have to learn from it and the measure of the team will be how we bounce back from that. I have already said that to them and I have no doubt as to the character of the group.

“We have got another opportunity fairly soon to go and reveal that so we need to get back onto the training ground and back together as a group.”

Rangers went into the third derby clash of the campaign knowing that victory would put them within touching distance of Brendan Rodgers’ side at the top of the table.

But their slim chances of launching a late bid for the silverware now appear over as Murty looks to pick up his players after another Old Firm reverse.

He said: “I haven’t talked about the title once, you guys have talked about the title, as is your wont, as is your job and as is your role.

“My job is to look after this group of players. We want to push on and narrow the gap, push on up the league and be competitive.

“Until the league is over, we will continue to fight as hard as we can but my main aim is to improve where we are from where we were.

“But I reiterate, we will improve from this. Sometimes these knockbacks make you stronger as a group and make you hungrier to go and succeed.”