Rangers told Ross County defeat gives 'bad feeling' as Ibrox men warned pressure part of being at big club

Rangers have been handed a scathing verdict after defeat in Dingwall and told they HAVE to handle the pressure.

Philippe Clement's men suffered a shock 3-2 loss to Ross County with the Belgian admitting it was the WORST performance from his troops since he replaced Michael Beale in the dug out. It meant Celtic stay four points clear at the top with the Light Blues playing their final catch up game on Wednesday as they bid to claw the gap back to one point. Brendan Rodgers' men are now in pole position although the Ibrox men know winning every game from here on in would give them a title triumph.

However, Billy Dodds believes the defence looked 'shaky and nervous' while the midfield didn't win any second balls and the forward players didn't look like scoring, despite creating chances. He questioned whether it all combined was a realisation of where they are in the title race as the pressure starts to build as the games continue to tick off towards the league split. The pundit also insisted that dealing with pressure is part of being at a club like Rangers and if players can't handle that they shouldn't be there as he told his old club they've got to go again and get all three points on Wednesday night against Dundee.

Speaking on BBC Sportscene, he said: "First half going forward they had good passages of play to create chances and then missed them. So they weren't clinical. Defensively, I think they were really poor. Ross County looked a threat all day. When you get them in at half-time, Philippe Clement would have been saying to them 'we've had a free warning there, we are winning the game and got to make sure we are more aggressive and closer to people and stop crosses'. They had a chance to put that right second half but they were nowhere near it and Ross County deservedly got the three points.

"[Philippe] Clement said after the game that it was in every position. You can go through them all. They weren't solid at the back. Looked shaky and nervous at times. Maybe that is a realisation of where they are in this championship race. The pressure and nerves can get to you. In midfield they weren't winning second balls and up front they had chances, they created but they just didn't look like scoring goals. It took a scrappy own goal and a penalty to get their goals. They weren't at it all over the pitch to be honest with you."

Asked how damaging the defeat was for Dodds, he added: "It stunts the momentum from where they were earlier in the season, to where they got themselves. To lose this game just really puts a bad feeling. It's up to them, Wednesday, huge game again, Dundee making top six and where it is played we don't know. The pressure is all on that game.

"They need to start getting the momentum back up going into the split. You are at a big club and big players. That is part of it the pressure. If you don't handle the pressure you shouldn't be at the big club. So they've got to go again and make sure they get the right result against Dundee to make sure they are going all the way in this title race."