Rangers are not out of the title race yet, but the picture is hard to dress up any other way after back-to-back defeats to Motherwell and Heart Of Midlothian. Danny Rohl's side are now seven points behind Hearts with three games remaining, a slide made sharper by the fact they had lost just twice in 33 league games before the split.

Why the last two defeats changed everything

This was the stage where Rangers needed control. Instead, they have drifted into damage limitation.

At Tynecastle, Dujon Sterling's deflected volley gave Rangers a first-half lead and seemed to put them in a decent position. By full time, the game had slipped away and so had much of their title momentum.

Rohl did not try to pretend otherwise. He told bbc.co.uk: "It's over when it's over and it means it's not over because we have still three games to go. The last two games bring us in a really difficult situation. We worked so hard to come to this point and then you lose two times, so tight 2-1 and 3-2 and this is not good enough for the moment. What I demand from my group now is show personality and courage for the next three games and this is our job to do."

That is the balance of this story. Rangers are still alive in the strictest sense, but the title hopes have plainly faded. A seven-point gap with three matches left leaves almost no margin for error and no real control over their own fate.

The frustration for Rangers is that their broader league form under Rohl has not been poor. His side are averaging 2.22 points per game in the league. That is a respectable figure, and slightly better than Derek McInnes's 2.11 at Hearts, but the table is what matters now and Hearts hold the advantage where it counts.

What Rohl thinks Rangers are getting wrong

Rohl's explanation is more useful than simply calling it a collapse of nerve. He has been clear that the issue is sustaining performance, especially after the break, against better opposition in the split.

Speaking after the Hearts defeat, he told bbc.co.uk: "We knew that they would come with power. They played much, much more direct in behind. We had less pressure on the ball and then you have to defend in critical areas very often. We have to learn from this, we have a young, potential squad but this is a job in the next weeks and months to improve."

That fits the pattern of Rangers' recent stumbles. The same team that looked sharp for long stretches has also been vulnerable once games shift. The brief points to the 2-2 draw with Celtic after Rangers had led 2-0 following an impressive first half, and another game in which they had to recover from two down to draw with Livingston. This is not one bad afternoon explained away by bad luck.

Rohl put it even more plainly to the Daily Record: "I want to see a team that plays for 95 or 100 minutes on the best level. But that's where we are at this moment and it's a little bit of a shame. At this time of year, when you come to the highest level, there are good opponents who can play at that level. That's the reason there's a top six split. The other teams can create something. Because of this, you have to be on the highest level and it wasn't enough. For me, this is what I take from the season and I know exactly what we have to do better next season. I've seen a lot of improvements but it's finally maybe not good enough to win the title this year."

That feels like the clearest reading of Rangers' run-in. The problem is not nothing more than mentality, even if mentality questions are inevitable when leads keep disappearing. The bigger issue is that Rangers have not been able to hold their level for a full match when the games have become tighter and better opponents have pushed back.

Why a summer reset already feels likely

The title race is still technically open, but Rohl's own language already sounds like a manager thinking beyond these final three fixtures as well as trying to rescue them.

He told the Daily Record: "Yeah, a big one, there's no question. We're in a really difficult situation now. We worked so hard to come so close. But in the last two games, it's not enough just to play one half at your best level. That's what I demand in the next three games. We have to show courage now, because I expect my players to take three fantastic results."

There is a short-term demand there, but there is also a longer-term reality. With James Tavernier set to leave this summer, six players coming to the end of their loan spells and Jack Butland about to enter the final year of his contract, another substantial reshape looks likely regardless of whether Rangers can extend the race.

That is why these last three games matter beyond the title table. They will not erase the damage of the defeats to Motherwell and Heart Of Midlothian, but they can still tell Rohl something about the personality and level of the squad he is taking into next season.

FAQ

Are Rangers out of the Scottish Premiership title race?

No. Rangers are not mathematically out of it because they still have three games to go. But their position is bleak after back-to-back defeats to Motherwell and Hearts left them seven points behind Hearts, and Danny Rohl admitted the last two losses have put his side in a really difficult situation.

Why does Danny Rohl think Rangers keep dropping points late in games?

Rohl has not framed it as a mentality issue alone. After the defeat at Tynecastle, he pointed to [Heart Of Midlothian](club:heart-of-midlothian)'s more direct play, Rangers applying less pressure on the ball, and repeated defending in critical areas. He also said his team need to perform at their best level for 95 or 100 minutes.

How badly have Rangers' recent defeats hurt their title hopes?

The damage is severe. Rangers had lost just twice in 33 games before the split, but consecutive defeats at the business end of the season have left them seven points behind Hearts with only three games remaining. That has turned a title push into a situation where they now need help as well as their own results.

Is another Rangers rebuild coming this summer?

It looks likely. The brief points to major turnover regardless of how the season ends, with James Tavernier set to leave this summer, six players reaching the end of their loan spells, and Jack Butland about to enter the final year of his contract.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →