LEE McCULLOCH has admitted the pressure levels inside Ibrox have risen to their highest levels since administration with Rangers now just one more poor result away from slipping into a critical condition on the pitch.

The club captain concedes he is feeling the same kind of strain he became accustomed to while competing for SPL and European titles before the well-documented financial meltdown of 2012 and has warned his less-experienced team-mates that they must learn to use that in their favour.

A draw at Alloa Athletic and a home defeat at the hands of Hibernian have left Ally McCoist's side six points behind Hearts at the top of the SPFL Championship with the manager coming under increasing scrutiny ahead of Saturday's visit to Livingston.

Rangers have now lost at home to both Hearts and Hibernian, regarded as their main rivals at the beginning of the season. While McCulloch insists that is no reason for panic in itself, he accepts there can be no fresh slip-ups ahead of a visit to Tynecastle on November 22.

"Since administration, I would say this is the most like it's been in the past here," he said. "The expectation and pressures are getting to that previous level. It's still not at that height, but it's getting close to what it used to be like. There is loads of pressure on you, loads of expectation on you and you've got to be able to handle it.

"There's no need to worry about it. I think it gives you an edge to your game. I think it's too early to be concerned about dropping points to the likes of Hearts and Hibs at home, but, if we drop any more points, it will be a big concern."

Rangers had put together a seven-game winning run in all competitions before being held at Alloa and McCulloch insists something similar - or better - is now required following two desperately poor displays on league duty.

"We need to put a run of games together and start winning," he said. "That's paramount. At the start of the season, we said the most important thing was to win the league. We knew it wasn't going to be as easy as the last few years. We've normally had a gap between us and the rest at this time in the past two seasons. We're more than capable of going and winning this league. It's up to the boys when they go and cross that white line to go and prove people wrong."

McCulloch has also revealed that there were strong words exchanged in the changing-room at half-time against Hibs, with the visiting side already three goals to the good.

"We came in at half-time and everybody in the dressing room had a few truths to be told," he said. "Second half, we came out and scored a goal. The second half was much better, to be honest, and it would have been interesting to see what had happened if we'd got a second. I think it would have been a very different game."

McCulloch has yet to learn whether Bilel Mohsni, offered a two-game suspension by the Scottish Football Association over a flashpoint with Liam Fontaine during the second period, will continue to play beside him in central defence.

McCoist admits the nature of the goals Rangers are losing is causing him extreme concern and could consider changes, but he has passed comment on the reaction to the Hibernian defeat.

"It was really disappointing and frustrating because we haven't been defending as we did at the start of the season," he said. "That said, we've had a couple of reasonable performances with clean sheets, with performances against Raith Rovers and Inverness, so I couldn't see that coming.

"We couldn't find the second goal that would have given us that impetus to go on and attempt to get an equaliser, so it was a poor night at the office in terms of the result.

"I said at half-time that, when you come in losing by three goals, you do need a minor miracle to get back into the game. We'll do our jobs and look at it, look to improve from it and learn from it, but it's a league defeat and not a death in the family."

McCoist has also warned his players to be prepared to deal with the criticism bound to come their way should things fail to improve.

"It is all right me saying it's an overreaction, but I'm used to it," he said. "It goes with the territory. It is part and parcel of a club of this size that a defeat is taken with far more seriousness than it is at the vast majority of other clubs. It will continue to happen, so we just have to accept it and move on."