Rangers losing trophy after trophy has to stop as it’s making me feel flat and empty – Barry Ferguson

Before we start I know this might sound a bit daft. But as soon as the final whistle went at Hampden on Sunday afternoon - and Celtic’s players ran to their fans to celebrate winning another trophy - I only had one thought in my head: This has to stop!

Yes, I realise it’s still only February and there are three months to go before the next big final at the national stadium. But if the players at Rangers aren’t already thinking about making sure they retain that Scottish Cup then they’re at the wrong club. Let me be absolutely blunt. They simply cannot roll over now and allow their rivals to stroll to another treble and that should be the only thought in their minds when they get back onto that training pitch this morning.

Yes, I know they’ll be hurting after losing the Viaplay Cup Final. They had better be. The truth of the matter is they didn’t even turn up when it mattered most of all and that’s the kind of regret that’s going to sting for a while.

They’ve missed out on silverware without even making Celtic get out of second gear to earn it and they should be kicking themselves for letting that happen. I’ve been there plenty of times after losing an Old Firm game and I don’t recommend it.

You go home, shut the curtains and replay it all over and over inside your own head. You think about all the mistakes you made and the things you should have done better.

Then, when you nip out to the shop or the petrol garage, nine times out of ten there’s someone there who wants to remind you of how badly you’ve let your club down. It’s horrible. But I also know there’s only one way to get over it. You lick your wounds, you accept the criticism and you get back out onto that pitch and blow the cobwebs away at the first opportunity.