" I do not know that on the field or off the field that it can be that much worse."

 

THIS mid-term assessment, this lack of progress report was delivered by Kenny Miller deep inside Hampden as the clamour of an Old Firm rolled off into the distance.

Miller's disappointment with a 2-0 defeat to Celtic in the league Cup semi-final was understandable but it was his reflections on the season that carried a more significant weight.

It was impossible to come away from the conversation with a belief that there is a cohesive sense of purpose within Murray Park.

The consensus is that the defeat to Celtic could have been heavier, more comprehensive. But Miller was frank in his summation of an afternoon and, indeed, a season that sees Rangers 16 points behind Hearts in the race for the SPFL Championship title and the automatic promotion place it bestows.

The Edinburgh side have played two games more, but Rangers have 16 matches to ensure promotion. "If we want to get back into the title race then we cannot slip up too many more times," said Miller, pointing to the obvious. He was more enlightening on the faults that have derailed a season.

First, he was open about where Rangers are as the season comes to a crucial stage.

Of the second half of the season, he said: " Well, to be honest with you, I do not know that on the field or off the field that it can be that much worse. To be honest, I do not think we have played particularly well this year at all," he said.

"We are always going to win games because arguably we have better players than the other teams but, for me, we have to win games by showing a bit more in the way we play in terms of performance rather than results. We have to get better," he said.

The depth of the problem was revealed when he said: "Everybody has to look themselves, first and foremost but football is a team game. You can afford a couple of guys to be off their game if you have another nine guys on it. But at the moment we have maybe got three or four who are on it and five or six who are not on it," he said.

"It is important we come together as a team. Individually our performances need to be better but, more importantly, collectively we need to start performing, we need to start helping each other, we need to find a way to find some cohesion in the group that is going to take us that next step."

Miller said the players already talked about matches in a formal setting. "We do that after every game when we run through what has happened good, bad or indifferent," he said. "We run through it on an open floor where people can chip in if there are issues that need to be resolved. It just, for some reason, does not seem to be happening for us at the moment."

The reason is left unsaid, perhaps even unknown. But there is an atmosphere at Murray Park and beyond that is breeding discontent. A symptom is the furore among some fans about Lee McCulloch, the club captain, being seen in cordial conversation with Kris Commons, the Celtic goalscorer, as they left the field at half-time on Sunday.

The much-stated sentiment was that ''this would never have happened under Souness". This is undoubtedly true but what is its relevance to Rangers in 2015? It is this: there is a belief that the players are under-motivated and under-performing. There is a subsequent fear that the Premiership may be more than just months away.

Asked if Rangers would face Celtic in a league match next season, Miller restricted himself thus: "I do hope so." But he knows the significance of what approaches for Rangers. "For me, we have to [go up] it's as simple as that. To not go up this year would be a disaster for me. And if we do go up we will be expected to win the league next year. That is just the nature of the club."

The nature and state of the club was reflected further when the question of "damage limitation" was put to Miller after a first half that Celtic dominated and could have scored more than two goals.

The Scottish internationalist played for both Celtic and Rangers in a time when "damage limitation" was not a priority but winning was. He dismissed suggestions of significant improvement in the second period and instead focused on the failings in the first that decided the match.

"It was an uphill struggle in the first half especially the way we started the game by losing two poor goals. I am sure we will look at that this week and there will be a few disappointed faces in the room because they were poor goals," he said.

"The goals we lost are terrible," he added. He was particularly angered by the first, a Leigh Griffiths header from an unchallenged cross from Stefan Johansen.

"When you set up a way to play and do the work during the week, you expect to deal with cross balls. Arguably the smallest man on the pitch has got a free header on the six-yard box. If you give goals away like that then you are always going to find it tough," he said.

Of the second half, he said: "Listen, we were better without creating any great chances."

There was a pleasing realism about all of this but also a distinct feeling that Miller believes something must change among players and staff and it must happen quickly.

"Over the course of the last three years there has been uncertainty at the club. The mainstay of everything was Ally [McCoist], he was the glue that held it together for a long time but he is now away. Kenny [McDowall] is now in a position where he is working his notice and giving everything he can to the cause and you would not expect anything less.

"As players we can only respond to who is in charge, we can follow our instructions but, again, we need to be performing better."

Miller accepts this responsibility and declared he would be happy to stay on for another season at the club that has an option his services.

"I am really hopeful that I will be here next year as I feel I have a lot to offer on the field and off the field," he said.

He has no regrets about flying in to the mayhem of Rangers in the summer form the relative calm of Vancouver Whitecaps.

" I love the place. I came here with my eyes open. I knew the situation at the club, I knew the position we were in and I never thought twice about not coming back," he said.

He is in the eye of the storm. There may be calmer waters ahead. But Miller's forecast is hardly sunny.