Dujon Sterling has called on Rangers to hit the “reset” button as they bid to get back on track in the Premiership title race and reach the final of the Scottish Cup.

Rangers failed to take full advantage of their game in hand over league leaders Celtic on Wednesday, drawing 0-0 at Dens Park against Dundee. They now trail their Old Firm rivals by three points with an inferior goal difference by five with just five matches remaining. That result on Tayside came on the back of losing 3-2 to Ross County on Sunday and Philippe Clement’s men have only won two of their past eight matches – both against Hibs. Their league campaign takes a break this weekend, with Rangers taking on Hearts at Hampden on Sunday in the Scottish Cup, and full-back Sterling knows he and his team-mates need to improve.

Speaking in the aftermath of the draw in Dundee, Sterling said: “It is not good enough on our part. We have a lot of work to do and we need to reset. We need to get our heads in the game, switch our mentality because for now it is not going in the right direction. There is still a lot of games to be played and there's still things to fight for. It is just disappointing.

Rangers Dujon Sterling, left, challenges Dundee's Amadou Bakayoko during Wednesday's 0-0 draw at Dens Park.

When asked what Rangers’ mentality should now be, Sterling continued: “It's got to be ruthless. We are fighting for a title and the way we are playing is we are not playing for anything, like the season is dead and it is a dead rubber game. Somehow it has got to switch. I don't have the words to do it or know how to do it. It is a team thing, not just one person and not just the gaffer.”

Rangers were booed off the pitch at Dens Park by a fuming travelling support. “Obviously I understand why the fans are angry after the game but hopefully they can still back us for the rest of the game and still push us on,” added Sterling. “We still have the togetherness but I don't know if the belief is there and I think everyone has to switch their minds that we can have that belief that we can do this. Of course anything can happen. We have five games left, five cup finals and hopefully the fans can push us to get through them."

“We owe ourselves a performance as well because we have been shit the past three games. I think we need to reset and do it for the fans as well because they have come home and away, backing us, singing for 90 minutes/95 minutes/100 minutes and we owe it to them. Obviously the past two weeks have been disappointing results and I know they have seen it before over the past years. Hopefully we can change that but we will see.

“The dressing-room is down at the minute. We dust this one off, get back to the training ground and review it, park it and focus on the semi-final.”

Rangers' Dujon Sterling does not hold back in scathing assessment of team - 'everyone has to switch their minds'

Comments