My Rangers prediction went horribly wrong and I just don’t know if I can defend them anymore – Barry Ferguson

No one enjoys having to admit when they’ve got it wrong. So what I’m about to write won’t be easy.

But a couple of weeks ago I didn’t just make a mistake in this column - I ignored all my instincts and threw caution to the wind when I predicted Rangers would go into the post split fixtures five points clear at the top of the table and on their way to the title.

In my own defence, I did add that football does have a habit of biting you on the bum if you start taking anything for granted. So now here I am, with teeth marks all over my backside, trying to work out what the hell has just happened over the course of the last fortnight. And the truth of the matter is it’s getting very difficult for me to try to defend the indefensible where my old club’s recent results and performances are concerned.

Let’s just say I was almost lost for words on Wednesday when I watched them lose another two precious points in Dundee and it left me feeling so down that I struggled to get a decent night’s sleep. But, after a lot of tossing and turning, I woke up yesterday morning and gave myself a shake because, for as long as it’s still possible for Rangers to win this league, then supporters like myself have a responsibility to back the team through difficult moments such as these.

There’s no point drooping your shoulders and allowing your bottom lip to drag along the ground. Not when there’s a Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts around the corner and the chance to get the whole season back on track. And that’s the message I’d be hammering home to these players if I was inside the training ground over the next 48 hours.

But, like the fans who made the journey to Dens Park the other night and who vented their anger on the final whistle, I