IT was their first home defeat in the Irn-Bru Third Division this season. They are still 17 points clear at the top of the league table and certain to win the title.

But the 2-1 loss to Annan on Saturday underlined that some of the current Rangers players do not belong at the Ibrox club.

Being able to beat part-time opposition, home and away, is only half the battle for Ally McCoist's charges.

One of the biggest challenges they face is being able to meet the expectations of the Gers support. Nothing less than outright success is demanded by their followers in every domestic fixture.

Clearly, many of those involved at the moment are unable to deal with that.

If they are failing to do so in the fourth tier then they have little or no chance of doing so higher up the leagues.

It would be best for both parties, the players in question and the club, if they were to move on.

KEEP YOUNGSTERS: Says Richard Wilson

It is evident that some members of this current Rangers side are not good enough to be part of the journey back to the top-flight. The team needs strengthened in every department, which in turn means that there will be departures in the summer.

The issue for Ally McCoist is: who should leave? Even the players he signed from the SPL last summer have not performed well enough. Dean Shiels has tended to be peripheral, Fran Sandaza has been injured but also ineffective, while Ian Black has laboured.

The young players are mostly all worth retaining, since they will improve, but they need better players around them. How much is Chris Hegarty benefiting, for instance, by playing beside Emilson Cribari? Anestis Argyriou has been game but limited at right-back, and more creativity is required in attack.

This is a Rangers side in transition, and some of the players will inevitably be cast aside along the way.