AS Willie Collum blew the final whistle at Ibrox this afternoon, any hopes Rangers had of retaining the league title were killed off.

Despite a rip-roaring start that saw Aaron Ramsey break the deadlock three minutes into the Old Firm encounter, Rangers were masters of their own downfall and allowed Celtic the opportunity to claw themselves back into the match before going on to take all three points.

The Parkhead side’s seventh-minute equaliser knocked the stuffing out of Rangers who were unable to pose Joe Hart any real major problems from there on in.

It sums up the Ibrox side’s season. They have been found wanting in the final third domestically with several players failing to produce the kind of numbers that saw them run away with the title at break-neck speed last term.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men now trail their arch-rivals by six points not to mention an insurmountable goal difference of 16. You are therefore talking about a seven-point deficit with six games of the season remaining.

When asked where the result leaves Rangers, the Dutchman put on a brave face.

He said: “Losing makes it more difficult, it’s not over but today makes it more difficult to be champions.

“If you play your direct opponents in the title race and lose you always make it more difficult for yourself.”

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It’s not only difficult, it’s nigh on impossible.

As challenging as it may be to hear, Celtic have a better team than Rangers at this moment in time. They have recruited well, particularly in January by adding players of quality that have enhanced their first team.

Rangers’ three loan additions, on the other hand, have ultimately failed to deliver. It’s perhaps unfair on Ramsey, who performed reasonably well on Sunday but the Welshman simply hasn’t been fit enough to have more of an impact.

The Parkhead club are unbeaten in 26 matches with just four draws. That is title-winning form and a big reason why they are very much in the driving seat for the Premiership crown.

It will take a monumental collapse, the likes we’ve not seen since 2005 for Rangers to rectify the situation and that's not to mention they will have to win every game from here on in. You'd have to say the likelihood of that is highly doubtful based on the evidence we have garnered over the course of the season.

Now, the league may be lost but there are still two competitions to be won and it’s vitally important Sunday’s disappointment doesn’t jeopardise both Europa League and Scottish Cup ambitions.

Braga will provide a stern test but a place in the semi-finals of the Europa League is very much achievable for a team who have shown they can mix with the best on the continent. Alfredo Morelos is a massive loss, everyone knows how much he loves this competition but it’s imperative Rangers find a way to cope without their talisman.

Kemar Roofe was often starved of service and fed on scraps. He needs players in and around him for Rangers to see the best of the former Leeds United man.

Then there is the small matter of an Old Firm Scottish Cup semi-final in a fortnight’s time. Celtic are on course for what looked like the unlikeliest of trebles at the start of the season and Rangers stand in their way.

They have the measure of their bitter rivals since van Bronckhorst took charge and will fancy their chances at Hampden. They will rightly go into the game as favourites given their recent record, not to mention Rangers’ awful run of results at the national stadium.

The Ibrox side have won just twice in their last nine visits, a truly deplorable statistic. It take a herculean effort not to see that poor run extended.

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The Scottish Cup is a competition Rangers haven’t won since 2009. For a club where stockpiling silverware is ingrained, this is simply not good enough. Given yesterday’s result, it takes on even more significance so it cannot be stressed enough how much Sunday’s result can’t be allowed to fester and derail the other objectives in place.

April will make or break Rangers’ season. They’ve kicked off with the worst possible result and the main prize on offer is gone, however, there are two other prizes and one of them has the potential to elevate this group of players onto legendary status, the likes we’ve not seen before.

James Tavernier’s post-Old Firm comments to Rangers TV are important to note.

He said: "There are six games left in the league this season and we are playing against Braga this week and we are in a semi-final. We can’t dwell on this too much.

"We will look back on it over the next couple of days but we have to focus on Braga now. It is obviously not going to sit right with us but we have got to do our utmost to get the results until the end of the season.

"We want to go as far as we can in the competition. We will all get round each other when we are back in and we will need a good performance against them away from home.”

Whether the players can move on from surrendering the league title remains to be seen.  We shall find out if they are able to in two weeks’ time but they should be in no mood for despondency with what can still be achieved if they refocus smartly.