THE numbers told one story, the boos that rung around Ibrox told another. For Mark Warburton’s sake, the season must have a happy ending.

The stats and figures have always been important to the Rangers boss but the most important one – the score line - didn’t make for pleasant reading on Saturday.

Warburton will point to the 57 per cent possession and the 22 shots that his side had against Ross County and wonder how the Gers didn’t take three points. From the six they had on target, only one – a low strike from Lee Wallace after 71 minutes – found the net.

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It leaves Rangers with just 12 league wins from 24 fixtures and a goal difference of six. The league table, as they say, doesn’t lie.

This was another afternoon of what ifs for Rangers. It should have been better, yet it could have been worse.

County had been comfortable in the time between Alex Schalk’s opener and the neat finish from Wallace as he collected Jon Toral’s pass and beat Scott Fox. They could even have been out of sight.

Rangers have faced Jim McIntyre’s side on three occasions now this term and the Staggies have merited their share of the spoils on each. This result was the most damaging one for Warburton, though.

It came at the end of a week that has seen questions raised over the mentality of his players and his ability to guide Rangers to second spot this term, never mind mount a challenge to Celtic.

The result against Hearts on Wednesday night was another blow to the Gers’ ambitions of being best of the rest, but it was the manner of the defeat and the abject performance that really rankled with supporters.

The Ibrox crowd once again turned up in their numbers on Saturday. They weren’t sent home happy, though.

Instead of the perfect reaction to a humbling in the Capital, they were left feeling a sense of déjà vu. They had seen this showing, this pattern of game and this outcome before.

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The sight of Rangers conceding a soft opening goal and falling behind needlessly was not a surprise, nor were the now familiar phases of play that came to an end without the ball in the net.

After the break, there was attacking intent but no cutting edge, the openings that Rangers carved out more half chances than glaring scoring opportunities. County keeper Fox undoubtedly frustrated them, but Rangers got what they deserved out of this encounter.

Warburton had sought to change Rangers’ fortunes by making three switches as Philippe Senderos, Jason Holt and Joe Garner came into the side.

The Swiss stopper didn’t look too rusty on his first appearance since October and played well overall alongside Clint Hill. He will hope there are more outings to come in the next few weeks.

For all the focus on Rangers’ defensive deficiencies, the issues middle to front have been just as costly this term. It was the same story on Saturday.

The return of Holt in place of Andy Halliday saw Emerson Hyndman assume the deeper role of the central three. It was a switch that stifled the American’s attacking instincts.

Having lost Joey Barton, Jordan Rossiter and Matt Crooks from his squad for a variety of very different reasons, there is no natural replacement for Halliday and Hyndman was the best choice given what Warburton had available.

But the 20-year-old has shown in his first few weeks at Ibrox what kind of influence he can have driving on from the middle of the park. His energy and eye for a pass were missed and it would be no surprise to see him redeployed in a more advanced role next time out.

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Nor would it be for Kenny Miller to be returned to his favoured central striking berth.

Garner may have been back in the team, but he was not back on the score sheet. The £1.8million forward was agonisingly close to his fourth goal in Light Blue as he slid in to try and connect with James Tavernier’s cross in the first half and was then denied by a brilliant double save from Fox as he blocked Garner’s header and clawed the ball away as Toral looked to convert.

In that moment, it looked like it would be one of those days for Rangers. And so it would prove.

The reaction from the home crowd at the final whistle said it all. This was two points dropped rather than one earned.

After a week to forget for Warburton, the only thing that could have made it worse was a win for Aberdeen at home to Partick Thistle. The Dons got their job done and second place in the Premiership was the reward for their efforts.

That is the spot that Warburton covets, the one that he must achieve this term, but his destiny is not his own hands.

By the time Rangers return to league action against Dundee in a fortnight they could be six points adrift of their Pittodrie counterparts. A race that Rangers should have enough to win looks like it will go down to the wire.

Warburton has the squad to see off the challenge of Aberdeen and now he has to get the best out of it once again if he is to avoid further pressure being piled on his shoulders.

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Many fans retain a degree of understanding, some may even have sympathy, for the situation that Warburton is working under as Rangers continue on the road to recovery.

But there is a frustration that progress is not being made at the rate that was expected, that performances are not at the level that is demanded.

The only thing that will satisfy supporters and ease the strain on Warburton is wins and that must start, for the manager’s sake, against Morton next weekend. After dropping four points in the matter of days, Rangers can ill-afford to further blot their record by suffering a shock Scottish Cup exit.

Warburton will be well aware that his stock with supporters can fall as quickly as it rose last season when Rangers eased to the Championship title. Defeat against the Ton would be Black Sunday for the Ibrox boss.