Rangers manager Derek McInnes promised his side would deliver by the end of the season after his new-look team lost 2-1 at home to Hibernian.
Rangers were already trailing in the Premiership after drawing at Tannadice, and had suffered an away defeat in the Europa League to Jagiellonia Bialystok, before losing to the Easter Road side in injury time. The result leaves them five points behind Celtic and St Mirren. Many disgruntled Rangers supporters booed McInnes' players off the pitch at full time.
McInnes on fan frustration
McInnes said he understood the reaction but did not want more time from supporters. "I'm not asking for more time," he said. "I understand the frustration. I share the frustration. It's 15 years of frustration here at this club. Nobody knows that more than me. We won a title and fans didn't even get to see the title win."
He added that every Rangers team was "a by-product of that frustration" and that fans simply wanted to see their team winning. "So do I. And we will get there," he said. "It's not going to start like we wanted. We have to work hard and stick together in the dressing room. But do we expect it to be any different to what we got today? Not until we start winning. So, I'm fine with that. I'm not going to ask the fans for more patience because I think the Rangers fans have been patient enough. So, it's up to us to give them a winning team more often than not. And we will get there."
Penalty controversy
Rangers had drawn level with five minutes remaining before Callum Wright's stoppage-time winner for Hibs, which McInnes felt was harsh on his side. "Disappointing result," he said. "We thought we were deserving of better. I didn't think we were brilliant, but I do think a lot of things transpired against us. The outcome isn't great and we get that, we accept that. But, in the cold light of day, if you analyse the game, we were the better team."
McInnes was aggrieved that his side fell behind to Josh Campbell's penalty, awarded after Vanja Dragojevic's tug on Jason Kerr was spotted by VAR official Matthew MacDermid. "I thought the decision to give a penalty kick was wrong," he said. "Having seen it back again, I think it's so soft, so harsh on us." He said Rangers were "a wee bit pedestrian" in the first half but felt the last half hour was closer to how he wanted his team to play, adding, "I actually thought the intent of the team was good."
Chermiti injury and transfer news
McInnes is waiting to learn the full extent of an injury to Youssef Chermiti, who was stretchered off in the first half. "He's left on a boot and his knee in a brace," McInnes said. "We'll get him scanned tomorrow."
Rangers are understood to have rejected a £22m bid from Galatasaray for the Portuguese forward. Turkish side Corum FK are interested in Mohamed Diomande, while Rangers are also trying to sign Dutch winger Couhaib Driouech from PSV Eindhoven and are monitoring AEK Athens full-back James Penrice.
