THERE is, with another 27 cinch Premiership games still to be played this season and no fewer than 81 points available, plenty of time remaining for Rangers to turn around their campaign.
Yet, unless there is a dramatic upturn in form quickly, both the Ibrox club and their manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst will suffer a sorry fate this season.
Van Bronckhorst had promised there would be a positive reaction to the flat display in the win over Dundee in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final in Govan on Wednesday evening.
But, if anything, his charges were even worse against Livingston at home yesterday than they had been in that narrow and unconvincing midweek victory.
An injury-time John Lundstram goal salvaged a draw and a point in the league encounter. But they were still booed off the park at the end of the 90 minutes by their own disgruntled supporters. It is looking increasingly ominous for them. Another slip-up domestically will result in calls for change in the dugout.
Rangers had the chance to move back to within two points of Celtic, who had beaten Hearts 4-3 at Tynecastle earlier, in the table with a victory. But at no stage did they look like prevailing and reducing the gap. Their fans are growing impatient with their poor form.
Rangers head to Italy next week for a Champions League match against group A leaders Napoli in the Diego Maradona Stadium and it is very hard to see them avoiding a fifth straight defeat in that outing on the evidence of this insipid display.
Livingston were desperately unlucky to be denied an historic triumph in Govan – they took an early lead through Joel Nouble and then successfully repelled their hosts until added-on time at the end of the match.
If substitute Morgan Boyes, who was sent off shortly after coming on for a needless foul on Morelos, had remained on the park the chances are they would have celebrated a hard-fought triumph when the final whistle blew.
Van Bronckhorst made six changes to the team which had laboured so badly against Dundee; Jon McLaughlin, Ridvan Yilmaz, James Sands, Scott Wright, Fashion Sakala and Morelos all dropped out and Allan McGregor, Borna Barisic, Ben Davies, Scott Arfield, Ryan Kent and Antonio Colak returned.
There were fitting tributes to Jimmy Millar, the legendary Rangers striker who passed away at the age of 87 this week following a battle with dementia, before kick-off.
Banners were unfurled which read “Jimmy Millar, You’re Immortal, Wearing Number Nine” in the BF1 section of the Broomloan Road Stand. James Tavernier and his team mates wore black armbands and there was an impeccably observed minute’s silence.
Millar, who won three Scottish titles, five Scottish Cups and three League Cups during the 12 years that he spent as a player in Govan in the 1950s and 1960s, was renowned as an exceptional header of the ball in his glorious heyday.
Colak, the current first choice centre forward, has shown he is no slouch in that department himself this term. But the Croatian internationalist nodded wide in the third minute after Kent had supplied him in the opposition six yard box. That miss set the tone for the afternoon.
There was nothing wrong with his opposite number’s finishing just seconds later. Livingston took the lead when a Cristian Montano pass was deflected into Nouble’s path.
The 6ft 4in front man showed great composure and technique to control the ball, turn and slot beyond McGregor and into the bottom right corner.
His strike stunned Ibrox into silence. But the home supporters were soon making their unhappiness at their side’s play clear. James Tavernier and his team mates retained possession for long periods. But they failed to trouble the visitors’ keeper George.
Breaking down rivals who positioned nine outfield players in and around their penalty area when they had the ball proved problematic. Colak fired a Kent delivery just wide and tried his luck from long range. But at no stage did Rangers look like levelling.
The Almondvale club, on the other hand, were dangerous on the counter. When Jack Fitzwater went close to doubling their lead at a Sean Kelly corner the level of disaffection in the stands was cranked up a level.
Martindale made two changes to the side that beat St Johnstone 1-0 seven days earlier. Centre half Fitzwater and midfielder Andrew Shinnie replaced forward Kurtis Guthrie and Dylan Bahamboula. His ultra-defensive approach may not be especially attractive to watch. But it is certainly effective.
Van Bronckhorst made two substitutions at half-time; James Sands took over from Leon King after the centre half complained of feeling unwell and Steven Davis made way for Rabbi Matondo.
The Dutchman was clearly hoping that the winger could provide a much-needed spark in the final third. But Jackson Longridge, who came on when Montano limped off injured at the end of the opening 45 minutes, nullified the threat which he posed down the right flank effectively.
Rangers laid siege to the Livingston goal in the second-half. Tavernier forced two saves from George and Colak went close with a spectacular overhead kick. But the crosses which they played forward hopefully were all dealt with comfortably.
Could Morelos turn things around? There was a huge cheer when the Colombian replaced Arfield with 25 minutes remaining. But not even playing with two strikers could help Rangers to restore parity.
There was a VAR check in the 77th minute after Boyes brought down Morelos. The substitute had been yellow carded for the foul. But match official Munro increased that to a red after watching back the incident on a pitchside monitor.
Fashion Sakala came on for Matondo and Kemar Roofe replaced Barisic in the closing stages. Nicky Devlin and his fellow players continued to defend furiously. But they could do nothing about the volley that Lundstram smashed into the top corner in injury-time.
