MURTY URGES MORELOS TO LOOK TO BOYD

Rangers manager says striker is down after his miss against Celtic but should take a leaf out of the Killie man’s book

A week ago, Rangers were looking to hit the heights. Now, the Ibrox club must guard against plumbing modern-day depths.

The 3-2 derby defeat last Sunday means this season is the first since 1971-72 that Ibrox club have lost six home league games. The 1959-60 season is the only other one in the post-war era that has yielded so many home league reverses.

Yet this situation could become worse, much worse. It is likely that Graeme Murty’s men will have five Premiership fixtures on their own patch before the season is out, with today’s visit by Kilmarnock the first of these.

Should they lose any of those games they will, incredibly, post seven home league losses in a league campaign for the first time since 1914-15.

The fallibility of Graeme Murty’s men – and four of the six defeats have been on his watch – is bizarre when set against their away league form. Rangers are on a par with champions-elect Celtic for points garnered on the road in the Premiership, both clubs claiming 35 from 15 matches. When it comes to home games, though, the Ibrox men can’t keep pace with their city rivals and almost half the top flight.

Celtic haven’t lost at home domestically in two years. Rangers haven’t been able to go two months in this campaign without a visiting team getting the better of them.

Two of Rangers’ six league losses were inflicted by Brendan Rodgers’ men, of course, with Hibernian also completing an Ibrox double and Hamilton Accies and St Johnstone posting historic wins in Govan. These results mean Rangers have lost more home league games than Hearts, who have only two such reverses, Aberdeen and Hibs, sitting on four, and Motherwell, beaten five times on their own patch. Their six home league defeats put the Ibrox side on a par with Kilmarnock.

Under Murty, Rangers have undoubtedly progressed. However, their home fans might feel they have been watching their club backpedalling.

Alfredo Morelos felt down after his miss against Celtic but Rangers manager Graeme Murty wants him to boost his morale by catching Kilmarnock’s Kris Boyd, inset, at the top of the scoring charts.