Gerrard: Rangers players are shot of confidence

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard said his players have lost all confidence after a slump in league form that continued with a 1-0 home defeat to Hamilton Accies.

The loss at Ibrox means Rangers have dropped 13 points in just five weeks, with the side knocked out of the Scottish Cup and with their league titl;e hopes having gone despite a strong position at the start of the year.

Gerrard said the team was in “a rut” and didn’t hide his disappointment.

“We have just given three points away,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.

“I’m not really sure I’ve got that many words to describe it.

“I didn’t think I could be more disappointed than I was after Hearts – but here I am, even more disappointed than I was a few days ago.

“I laid down the gauntlet before the game and will continue to do that. But I have a dressing room that’s shot of confidence.

“We have played ourselves into a rut and I’ve got a real tough, tough job to pick that up and improve it from here.

“I played the game for many years and I’ve been in dressing rooms where confidence is shot and things are not great.

“I’m not going to say this is the first time I’ve experienced that. But the dressing room is very quiet at the moment.”

Gerrard had said that he needed to find answers after watching the side exit the Scottish Cup with a 1-0 defeat to Hearts on Saturday. The former Liverpool captain didn’t see a problem with effort at Ibrox on Wednesday, but said that his side failed to show a cutting edge and paid the price.

He added: “Myself and my staff are flat because we are doing everything we can. We are trying to change formations and personnel, doing different things in training to try and lift and put confidence into them.

“I thought we lacked desire and commitment at the weekend which was really tough to take. I don’t think we lacked that tonight. Tonight was more about quality and taking your chances in the final third.

“If you don’t take them, you always leave yourself wide open to someone going and scoring against you. Credit to Brian and his team, they’ve done that. We’ve got a lot to do – a big, big lot.”