SHAMBLES ON AND OFF THE PARK

There are now more questions than ever at Rangers, says Rae

ALEX RAE declined to join the band of former Ibrox players who used social media to vent their frustration on Sunday evening.

He admits he simply wouldn’t have known where to start.

For a passionate Rangers supporter who played for the club with unstinting drive and aggression, the dismally feeble Old Firm capitulation witnessed at Hampden was almost enough to scramble the senses.

Knowing he was far from alone in his pain wasn’t much consolation. When Rae spent time in his old Glasgow neighbourhood of Dennistoun on Monday morning, he didn’t need scarves to identify who supported which team.

‘You have guys shouting from cars to tell you how embarrassing it was,’ admitted Rae. ‘And then you have the other side just smiling at you. It is a really tricky time for Rangers just now.’

The 48-year-old may speak from the heart, but he is also a shrewd observer of events at his former employers. In terms of who fills the manager’s chair for next season, the players that are needed and the overall direction of the club under chairman Dave King (below), vital questions are piling one on top of the other. Answers, however, remain in very short supply.

‘As a club, they need to reassess the whole shooting match,’ Rae told Sportsmail. ‘I look to just over a year ago, when they paid around £300,000 or £400,000 to get Pedro Caixinha released from his contract (in Qatar) because they felt it was important he had time to assess the squad.

‘Hindsight is a great thing, but I could see the logic of the board spending money to give him time to get an understanding of the landscape with the club and the supporters and then hit the ground running with new signings.

‘Now, this year, they are going into the same period with a whole different mindset — and with a manager in Graeme Murty who potentially won’t be there.

‘Players have signed contract extensions and they have paid more than £600,000 for young Greg Docherty. But then they might be going in a different direction with a new boss.

‘The whole thing doesn’t quite sit right. Where is the strategy here?

‘Rangers’ recruitment was lauded back in January, people were saying they had brought better players in and results proved that.

‘That might have been the case in the first six, seven or eight games after bringing these players in. But, with the greatest of respect, some of the opposition in that period were from lower tiers.

‘You will get a clearer picture looking over the whole time since their signings because it is fair to say that the majority of guys who came in during January have started to struggle now. So then you ask: “Is it actually a better window than last year?”

‘I don’t know. It will be revisited in five games’ time when the season is finished. But there are question marks.

‘With the possibility of loan players going back and doubt about who will be the next manager, there are actually more unanswered questions now than there ever has been.’

Rae might be circumspect about it, but Murty’s time will clearly be up at the end of the season. This Rangers board will be seeking their fifth managerial appointment in little more than three years. Their need to get it right, to enthuse an increasingly frustrated fanbase whose remarkable loyalty cannot be infinite, has never been greater.

‘Dave King came out with his statement last week and I totally understand why he did it because he is a businessman who has to sell season tickets,’ added Rae. ‘I don’t think it helped Graeme in any shape or form.

‘But what ultimately sells tickets is what happens on the park. And on the back of Sunday — and the manner of that loss — I think only a marquee (appointment) will suffice. Because there is a bit of anger floating about.

‘That is down to the emotion of the semi-final. But if you step back and take a look at things objectively, these more rounded questions have been there for a few months.

‘It is not solely about Celtic, but Brendan Rodgers is a top drawer manager who came with an unbelievable track record. ‘When I look at how he portrays himself, he is very assured. He comes across to me almost as: “Celtic are extremely lucky to have me”.

‘With Graeme — and this is not his fault because he has been put in that position — I look at a guy who feels he is very lucky to actually be at Rangers. So there is a contrast.

‘Whoever comes in, you have to look at it and think: “Can this guy bridge the gap?” That is the question for the Rangers board.

‘If you are going to try to go toe-to-toe tactically with Brendan Rodgers, then you need someone who is really switched on.’

Rae insists Rangers ‘got off lightly with 4-0’ in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final as Murty’s approach of a flat midfield three contributed to a thoroughly timid display. Scott Brown was effectively given the freedom of Hampden to orchestrate Celtic’s tenth undefeated derby in succession.

‘When the manager comes out and says it took 30 minutes to make a tackle, then you have to wonder where they go from here,’ admitted Rae.

‘They never got close to the Celtic players and both centrebacks were culpable for goals. I don’t think Celtic will have an easier afternoon.

‘They need to try to regroup and go again against Hearts on Sunday. The next five games are still crucial, given how tight it is between second and fourth.

‘Graeme has spoken about having words with individuals, but, collectively, they need to clear the air as well. Some of the scenes with the players — with the substitutions, with Morelos at the end — are a by-product of not being able to do things on the pitch. It has spilled over into people wanting to have a go at their team-mates.

‘You need a strong manager at that point. Someone to basically go in and tell them to pull themselves together.

‘I listened to Graeme after the match and he said he felt it wasn’t the time to have a go at the players. On the back of that performance, I would have gone right through the lot of them because there is a general anger among supporters.’