IT was a full and frank exchange of views at Auchenhowie after a heavy defeat which led to the biggest controversy of what has been a demanding season for Rangers back in the top flight erupting.
But Andy Halliday - who was, if rumours are to be believed, at the centre of that whole sorry affair – is hopeful the forthright post mortem which was held at the training ground yesterday in the wake of the 2-0 loss to Hearts will be important in them rediscovering their best form.
Halliday acknowledged the Ibrox club’s performance at Tynecastle on Wednesday evening had fallen some way below what is acceptable and that a drastic improvement is required.
However, the midfielder, who was at the heart of the bust-up following the 5-1 defeat to Celtic at Parkhead back in September which led to Joey Barton being suspended and later departing, has predicted the talks which took place yesterday will enable Rangers to recover.
“We have just had a lengthy discussion and analysis,” he said. “What was supposed to be a 15 minute analysis ended up as an hour long heated debate. And quite rightly so. It has got to be ironed out.
“The beauty of this manager is he’s got an open floor for the boys to discuss how they feel. Ultimately, it’s always going to be the manager’s decision, but the boys have all chipped in with what we thought was right and what we thought was wrong at Tynecastle. We’ve come together as a group and made an agreement of what we have to do to move forward.
“That’s why we all love playing under this football manager - he’s not arrogant enough in himself that he can’t listen to his own players and what their opinions are. So we’ve got an open floor to discuss it.”
Much has been made during the 2016/17 campaign of Mark Warburton’s reliance on a 4-3-3 formation and insistence that his side build play gradually from the back even when under intense pressure from their opponents.
But Halliday, a lifelong Rangers supporter as well as a player, reckons the root of their current problems is far simpler and ultimately boils down to them displaying the necessary will to win and has told his team mates as much.
"When you look at the lot of the games where we’ve dropped points this year, fundamentally we’ve not played well," he said. “If we’re not playing well we don’t deserve to win games.
"We’re not a Barcelona, we’re not a Bayern Munch, a team full of match-winners. We play well when the team plays well. So if you’ve got three or four bodies that aren’t performing that given day then you don’t deserve to win football matches. So it’s up to us to get our fingers out and start to perform.
“We talk about styles of play and what we’re good at and what we’re not good at, but you have got to earn the right to play football. You have got to win your own individual battle and compete all over the park and last night we just didn’t do that. It didn’t matter if we were 4-3-3, 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 last night. If you don’t play well you don’t deserve to win games."
With a Ladbrokes Premiership game against Aberdeen at Ibrox looming tomorrow, Mark Warburton’s side will need to perform at a far higher level to avoid suffering a second consecutive defeat and losing further ground in the race to finish runners-up in the top flight.
Warburton has come under increased criticism, in both the media and among the Rangers support, as his side has struggled this season, but Halliday feels that is unjustified and stressed that he retains his full backing.
“That’s totally, totally unfair in my opinion,” he said. “He’s the best manager I’ve ever worked under, he’s a pleasure to work under on the training field every single day. People deserve their opinion, but I’m the biggest believer of what the gaffer is trying to do here.
"Of course it’s tough, but I wouldn’t swap this for any other football club. I thrive on this expectation, I thrive on this pressure, I love playing for a club as big as this.
"We know ultimately it’s up to us to put it right. Aberdeen are obviously a very good team and they are up there in the league with us so it’s a six-pointer on Saturday. It’s a massive game for us as usual."
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