WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG ?

Our top team of football writers have their say on Gers' title collapse

1. Skin decoration (6) 7. Brown sugar (8) 8. An annoyance, informally (4) 10.Shoots from cover (6) 11.Easy to perform or achieve (6) 14.Toddler (3) 16.One beyond help or recovery (5) 17.Plant ovule (4) 19.Attack (3,2) 21.Meat in rashers (5) 22.Indistinct (5) 23.Observes (4) 26.Wild (5) 28.Loo (3) ACROSS:

RANGERS have won just three of their last six matches since the winter break – handing bitter rivals Celtic the advantage in this season’s Premiership title race.

Manager Steven Gerrard has accepted some blame for his side’s results and some of the performances they’ve put in, branding them unacceptable. He has also questioned his players’ bottle on their quest for silverware.

It all looked so rosy at 5pm on December 29 after they had

8. Use one's teeth on (4) 9. Mesh (3) 12.Swindle (3) 13.Rental contract (5) 15.Happen again (5) 18.Keen (5) 19.Droop (3) 20.Foot digit (3) 21.Equilibrium (7) DOWN 22.Vehicle (3) 1. Chucks (6) 23.Sage (6) 2. Three-legged 24.Heinous (4) stand (6) 25.Shirt part (6) 3. Betting 26.Ludicrous chances (4) situation (5) 4. Six-sided figure (7) 27.Ancient artefact (5) 5. Glossy fabric (5) 28.Single circuit (3) 6. Afterwards (5) 30.Thick cable (4) YESTERDAY SOLUTIONS DOWN: 29.Stadia (6) 30.Deep narrow gorge (6) 31.Iridescent precious stone (4) 32.Sound of a horse walking (4-4) 33.Landed property (6)

1 Sprat; 6 Ewers; 9 Poleaxe; 10 Tempo; 11 Prods; 12 Sidle; 13 Iceland; 15 Can; 17 Mess; 18 Visage; 19 Spoon; 20 Evades; 22 Mice; 24 Lay; 25 Seminar; 26 Final; 27 Taboo; 28 Arrow; 29 Lumbago; 30 Reads; 31 Order

2 Pierce; 3 Appals; 4 Too; 5 Tepid; 6 Explain; 7 Were; 8 Red rag; 12 Snaps; 13 Impel; 14 Essay; 15 Cabin; 16 Never; 18 Vowel; 19 Serious; 21 Vacate; 22 Mirror; 23 Cajole; 25 Samba; 26 Fold; 28 Ago soundly beaten Celtic at Parkhead. A 2-1 victory which represented serious growth and improvement under their manager – as well as a statement of intent to their rivals that this was, indeed, a race to the finish line.

So it begs the question: What on earth has happened since the winter break?

Here, our sports writers have had a look at just what has gone on at Ibrox since the winter break and why the wheels have fallen off so quickly.

A COMBINATION of factors have been responsible for Rangers’ catastrophic collapse in the second half of the season.

Losing their captain and firstchoice right-back James Tavernier and leading scorer Alfredo Morelos at the same time proved costly. The Ibrox club lost to Hearts away at Tynecastle without the duo.

When Morelos returned from his suspension he was carrying a slight calf strain and was well off the pace. He wasn’t his normal self as Steven Gerrard’s team were held to a 0-0 draw by Aberdeen at home.

But both Tavernier and Morelos were back in the starting lineup at Rugby Park on Wednesday night as Rangers let a one-goal lead slip and crashed to a 2-1 loss.

Gerrard, with typical honesty, accepted full responsibility for the poor performance and painful loss in Ayrshire afterwards. He has to