Inside Rangers dressing room mindset as Ibrox star brands recent form 's***' - claiming title belief 'not there'

Crestfallen Rangers star Dujon Sterling has branded their significant drop off form over the last three games “s***” after the Ibrox club’s title hopes were left hanging in the balance following a goalless draw with Dundee on Wednesday night.

The Light Blues utility man didn’t hold back in an explosive post-match interview as he gave a very honest assessment about their recent dip in performance levels, with Philippe Clement’s side only picking up two points from a possible nine games.

That has led Rangers to go from Premiership title favourites just a few weeks ago to chasers, with Celtic now firmly in the driving seat to reclaim the league crown. Sterling is well-aware that performances have been nowhere near good enough of late, insisting disgruntled fans were right to turn on them at Dens Park because they are playing as though the season is already dead.

The former Chelsea youngster, who is determined to bounce back in this weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts at Hampden Park, stated: “We owe ourselves a performance as well because we have been s*** 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, 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. “Yes, 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."

Following an impressive Old Firm fightback to salvage a share of the spoils against Celtic earlier this month, Rangers then followed that result up with a shock 3-2 defeat to Ross County in Dingwall before drawing a blank against the Dark Blues.

Sterling has acknowledged that a lack of cutting edge has been their biggest downfall, but knows that his team mates need to keep believing that they can still win the title by making sure they win all of their remaining five league games.

“It's got to be ruthless,” the 24-year-old claimed when asked about what mentality is required to halt their slump in form at a crucial stage in the season. “We are fighting for a title and the way we are playing as is we are not playing for anything, like the season is dead and it’s 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. Difficult to say any words really.

“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 are still a lot of games to be played and there's still things to fight for. It is just disappointing but I don't really know what to say.”

He continued: “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. 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 just have to have that belief that we can. Back then we had the togetherness, we had the belief. We still have the togetherness but I don't know if the belief is there at the minute and I think everyone has to switch their minds so that we can have that belief that we can do this.”