JACK BUTLAND has questioned the hunger and desire of his Ibrox teammates.
After Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Dundee United, managerless Rangers have now gone four Premiership home matches without a win.
Thelo Aasgaard fired them in front, but goals from Kristijan Tranpanovski and Craig Sibbald turned the game on its head.
It took a James Tavernier strike four minutes from time to salvage a point for the crisis-torn Light Blues.
Gers are now preparing for a must-win Europa League clash against Brann Bergen.
And keeper Butland confessed: “Mentality is obviously a word that’s been used a lot by different people.
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“You can use it for whatever you like but sometimes you either have it or you don’t.
“What this club needs is a group, a squad and a togetherness that lives and breathes what this club’s about.
“It’s not getting that. It’s not being shown enough.
“I have to be careful how I say things. But that’s the truth and reality of it.
“That’s what the fans are seeing.
“It has to happen the rest of the week.
“It can’t be turned on for a match day. It can’t be done occasionally in training.
“It’s a mentality of winning and desire.
“It doesn’t have to be pretty at times.
“That should have been a 1-0 on Saturday, worst case scenario.
“If it gets scrappy, you put bodies on the line.
“So what? You come away with three points. But at the minute we’re not showing that we have enough of that.
“That’s ultimately what this club needs, first and foremost.”
This was Gers’ first game since Russell Martin was sacked.
But the angry protests continued with chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell firmly in the firing line.
The players didn’t escape the wrath of the fans either with the Union Bears unfurling a banner which read: “No more buses to hide on, no more managers to hide behind. Face your failures like men.”
Butland said: “I can only speak for myself. I put myself out there.
“I’m here now, I’m speaking to people. I hope I’m saying what people want to hear.
“I can’t repeat what was said in the change room.
“But I’d like to think the messages would echo the opinions of the fans and what they expect.
“Because I feel it and I want this place to be as special as it can be.
“I’ve got no qualms with it because they’re entitled to their opinion.
“And to be honest, it’s reasonably factual at the minute.
“What they’re seeing is not good enough.
“So as players, it’s a challenge and you have to face it.
“The only way we can face it is by putting in performances.
“That’s all they want to see.
“I walk out there and when I get to my car, there will be people out there.
“I won’t shy away from it.
“So as far as facing things up, you have to accept what comes with it when things aren’t good.
“But I’ve also been on the other side.
“My focus and message for the rest of the squad, if they don’t believe it already, is when things are great here, there’s nowhere better.
“This is a difficult time.
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“I’ve experienced some good ones here and I’d love more of that.
“It’s just about sticking your chest out, getting on with it and trying to do the best you can, which I’m certainly trying to do.”
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