THE lead has long since gone. In a matter of weeks, the league will be lost too.

From a position of superiority last summer, from one of strength this season, Rangers have crumbled. Their reign as champions will last just one term.

There are various reasons for that. In time, those culpable should face the recriminations and the club will have to rebuild – once again – while Celtic enjoy a financial advantage.

Defeat at Ibrox wasn’t the result that condemned Rangers, but it did consign them to a reality that they have been facing for quite some time. In truth, it has been a shambles of a season at all levels and Rangers – as a board, a management team and a squad – will get what they deserve come the end of the Premiership campaign.

The form under Giovanni van Bronckhorst hasn’t been good enough. Fans can point to the Old Firm defeats as the turning points, but the direction of travel has been clear for far longer and this all-or-nothing afternoon was just the latest blow to stomach.

“It was a game we had to win,” Van Bronckhorst said. “In the end, when we don’t win it, then it’s a big disappointment for us.

“They (the fans) watch the games, no? They watch the games and saw what happened in those games.

“We didn’t take the chances we had. We had some decision not go in our favour and then in the end, when you draw and lose points, you don’t take the chances you get.

“That’s why we lost a lot of points which was unnecessary I think. If you keep losing points like that then you are trailing Celtic now by six points. Those are the facts and we cannot change them.

“Our start couldn’t have been any better. The team started on the front foot and we scored an early goal, which is what you want. But the two goals we gave away were gifts.

“It cannot happen in any match - not only an Old Firm - but any match. You cannot give the first goal away like that. For me it’s unthinkable.

“But it happened and for the second goal as well we didn’t defend as strongly as we can.

“That’s why we conceded two easy goals against us. That made it more difficult.”

The goals that were lost were only part of the problem as Rangers squandered a lead and surrendered any chance of overhauling Ange Postecoglou’s side in the closing weeks of the campaign.

The champions were seemingly set for a rousing afternoon when Aaron Ramsey fired them ahead early on but a quickfire response from Tom Rogic doused their ambitions. When Cameron Carter-Vickers scored just before the break, that was that.

Rangers would dominate possession in the second half but the goal to spark a recovery never came. It never looked like coming, either.

"Very tough,” Van Bronckhorst said. “We wanted to win this game.

"We started very well but when you don't win this game it's a big disappointment. We started well, the way we wanted.

"We scored an early goal and that you think that will give you confidence to get in the game. 

"But to go to 1-1 was of course a big blow because we were playing so well and with the first attack they had, they scored. It was tough to take, as was the second goal we had against us.

"In the second half we tried to push. We played almost the whole of the second half in their half, but you always know with the transition moments it will be dangerous.

"We did create some good chances to get the equaliser but in the end we failed.”

The Old Firm post-mortem began as soon as referee Willie Collum blew the whistle for the final time of a dramatic, action-packed and high-stakes afternoon at Ibrox.

Van Bronckhorst was quizzed on his tactical approach and his substitutions – particularly the removal of Ramsey after 64 minutes – in the immediate aftermath.

He has been around long enough to know that criticism will follow. He is, he insists, able to deal with whatever comes as his attentions turn to Braga on Thursday night.

“I think we pressed really high, all over the pitch,” Van Bronckhorst said. “I think it was better in the second half. We pushed more forward. 

“Celtic are always dangerous in transitions so we took a little bit of a risk. The second half we played almost the whole game in their half and trying to push for the second goal, which eventually didn’t fall. 

“Well, I made my decision [on the substitutions]. That’s it.  

“Of course, it’s easy to talk about subs and why it didn’t happen. You bring in fresh legs. We put Sakala on the wing to get more bodies up front and to play with a lot of pressure up front. 

“I think we created some chances to score. Not really big ones but enough chances to score the equaliser. If you lose, the subs are always bad. If you win, it’s always good. 

“I’ve had both moments in this season so far. It’s the task of a coach and also if it doesn’t go well then it’s always the blame of the coach. I have tough skin.”

That quality will come in handy in the coming days and weeks and Van Bronckhorst cannot allow the season to spiral out of control now that the title is all-but gone.

That trip to Braga will see Rangers begin their bid for a place in the last four of the Europa League and another Old Firm clash in the Scottish Cup semi-finals provides a chance to move within 90 minutes of silverware.

That would be a consolation to take from a season that offered much but looks like providing little. There are still goals for Rangers to aim for.

Van Bronckhorst said: “You feel disappointment but you have to stand up. Of course, a loss in an Old Firm game is always very disappointing but we have to keep going.

“It’s almost the end of the season with a lot of games to be played in a lot of competitions. So we have to prepare and that’s all we will do.”