Danny Rohl admits his Rangers side must be more ruthless in the final third after their defeat to Hearts.
The German was pleased with the performance for most of the first half at Tynecastle, until a mad four minute spell in which they conceded two avoidable goals, the first Stuart Findlay's header from a corner kick and the second an error from Jack Butland allowing Lawrence Shankland to score from a near impossible angle.
It was an uphill task for the away side from there and they only managed one consolation, from Youssef Chermiti in stoppage time.
It was Rohl's first defeat in the league and leaves them 12 points behind today's opposition at the top of the table.
He says his men need to be better in the final third and more clinical in front of goal when they do create chances.
Read more
-
How Rangers missed chance of statement win at Tynecastle: Butland, simple failings
- Ex-Rangers star lands his team an international ban by refusing to travel
"Yeah, this is again decision-making," he said when asked if he was diappointed Hearts' defence weren't asked enough questions. "I think that even two or three minutes before it went 1-0, a situation where we wanted to switch the game and we could find our free men far away to have a good cross ball, we missed the ball and they're out, and then you come in these small moments.
"I felt really in the stadium that they were a bit impressed with our performance, how we reacted, but in the end they won. And then in the second half you have a different game, they're waiting for transition moments, you have to open up, you have to take more risks, and then they are good in this, they are doing well, I think this is also a big respect to them, but I felt really the first 40 minutes [before] the 1-0 that we were good in the game."
Many were tipping Rangers to haul themselves back into a title race if they could get a victory today, with Celtic also faltering.
And the head coach admits his team missed a big opportunity.
"We missed a big opportunity today, this is hard to take," he added. "I spoke about the steps, today it was more a side step than a step forward.
"We spoke about it - football is not about if, it's about the result, and today we couldn't win, and then of course they kept it a little bit more open again. It's tough, because I felt really in the first half until the first goal there was more on, and in the second half I can just say that we tried everything, I think my team tried and put all the effort in, but then in such a game it's not so easy to come back."
