McCulloch: Boss must clinch title next campaign..

again. And McCulloch was adamant that Murty and Rangers can’t wait any longer to stop Celtic’s dominance.

He said: “Graeme has done really well since taking over. He’s given the players and also the supporters confidence and has bridged the gap which clearly was there.

“The signings he’s made have been pretty good. He has changed the mentality of the fans and while Sunday was a disappointment, I think it’s all positive.

“But Rangers have to be winning the league. So it is a difficult situation for Graeme.

“If Graeme is given more time, I believe he can bridge that gap even more and potentially Rangers could be challenging Celtic for the league a year from now.

“I don’t see why he won’t be given more time. It’s up to the board, obviously, if he will get the job beyond the summer but I honestly believe he’s done himself a lot of favours in that he has put himself in a position to keep the job.

“Rangers need to be challenging Celtic next season. I really believe that. Rangers must be looking to win the league. The club has stabilised and now it’s about bringing success on the field and for this football club, that’s winning the league.

“I wouldn’t say the Rangers fans are impatient, I would say that expectations are high at a club as big as this one. These supporters got used to winning leagues and cups every year for many years. It’s natural for them to want their team to win, and dealing with that expectation is part and parcel of life at Rangers.”

Meanwhile, Declan John’s good form has been rewarded with a recall to the Wales national side.

The left-back, who has three caps, was yesterday named in Ryan Giggs’s first squad since the Manchester United legend replaced Chris Coleman.

John, 22, has now played 26 times for Rangers, scoring three goals, since singing on loan from Cardiff City, a deal which became permanent last year.

And he admitted at the time that a reason he choose Rangers was to get back into the Welsh set-up.

John said: “If I’m up here [at Rangers] and playing well it’s certainly going to put me in good stead in terms of getting back into the national team.

“I’ll just hope to keep playing well and hopefully the manager gives me a chance.

“I don’t know Ryan but obviously I’ve seen him play and I supported United as a kid.

“Watching him play, I’d try to copy him in certain ways, try to get the ball like him and go past three or four players at a time. That was something I wanted to do.”