STEVEN GERRARD will consider his future as Rangers boss over the next 48 hours following the Scottish Cup exit to Hearts.
The 39-year-old saw his side crash out at the quarter-final stage as Olly Bozanic netted the only goal of the game at Tynecastle to end Gerrard's silverware aspirations this term.
Rangers have seen their Premiership title ambitions suffer a series of blows in recent weeks as they have fallen 12 points off the pace and allowed Celtic to move within touching distance of nine-in-a-row.
The Europa League win over Braga in midweek had given Gerrard arguably the best night of his managerial career but he described this defeat as the lowest he had felt during his time at Rangers.
The Liverpool legend signed an extension to his Ibrox deal in December and is contracted until the summer of 2024 but a second successive collapse after the winter break has seen him questioned in some quarters.
Now Gerrard – who spoke to his staff and hadn’t addressed his players before conducting his post-match media duties last night - will look for the answers himself following a damaging cup defeat.
Gerrard said: “I need to think. The plan was to have a day off [on Sunday]. I need to think hard about where we are at as a group. I need to do some real, serious thinking in the next 24, 48 hours.
“I just need to think. I need to think. I am feeling pain right now because I want to win here, I am desperate to win here. Looking from the side today, I didn’t get the impression that the feeling amongst my players was the same.
“I am not doubting myself. We have given these players everything, me and my staff have given these players absolutely everything for 20 months, held their hand on and off the pitch and improved everything for them.
“But it is tough when every other performance you feel the way you feel. It is tough. I need to analyse myself, for sure. This is the toughest moment I have had since I have come here.
“I think it will be extremely difficult in the short-term because of where we lie from a league point of view. We all know that we have punched above our weight in Europe so far. This is what I need to analyse in the coming days.
“It [two seasons without silverware] is not good enough. That is not what I am about. That will come on my shoulders.”
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