Exclusive. OPINION Philippe Clement has served up the Rangers unacceptable andunthinkable and only the unforgivable is left – Barry Ferguson.

Barry is exhausted by the current state of play and understands that Clement needs a win this weekend.

Rolling over at Rugby Park was inexcusable. Losing to Aberdeen was unfathomable. However, failure to get past Motherwell on Sunday will be inexcusable for the majority of Rangers supporters. Listen, I understand the rage that is currently circulating among supporters. Tempers are high, which is understandable given Philippe Clement’s team’s nine-point deficit to both Aberdeen and Celtic. That was not an outcome I considered prior to the game. Rangers just HAD to close the deficit with the Dons to three points. So to come away with the disparity widening is quite concerning. The first half performance at Pittodrie was nothing short of scary.

Clement came out after the game and rated his team’s performance as one of the greatest he’d seen this season. But, in my opinion, the Rangers were much off the pace in the first 45 minutes. I was really away by how awful we were in the first half. Yes, they improved after the break and got a terrific goal back from Nedim Bajrami. But where was the spirit, belief, and energy in the first period?

Why didn’t the team start the game the same way they did against Steaua Bucharest last week? That was an energetic and passionate performance. But in a vital game against a superbly disciplined Aberdeen team led by Jimmy Thelin, there was no trace of the fighting qualities that had earned an optimistic 4-0 win in the Europa League just a week earlier, until the second half. It should have been obvious from the first minute.

I think it’s necessary to recognise the Dons. They were outstanding and absolutely deserved not only the victory, but also their lofty position at the top of the league alongside Celtic. But I am a Rangers fan, and my main concern is our team’s frightening direction.

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