THE only surprise is that some were surprised. Dundee may have upset the odds, but their win over Rangers was entirely predictable.

It is said that you learn more in defeat than you do in victory and the Light Blue legions found out all they needed to know about the Gers squad at Dens Park.

The chorus of boos that emerged from an enraged and exasperated away end at full-time on Friday night almost drowned out the celebrations from their counterparts in dark blue as the Dees recorded a rare Premiership victory to move off the foot of the standings.

Read more: Chris Jack: Rangers board need big results on and off the park in AGM week

As the players trudged towards the tunnel, they were on the end of friendly fire from both flanks as a support whose patience has been tested too often already this season let rip.

A Josh Windass strike had given Rangers hope but it was the goals either side of it from Mark O’Hara that were the key moments on a night where the temperatures plummeted and anger levels hit 11.

The failings were all too familiar for supporters as a side that have repeatedly underperformed this season once again failed to produce when it mattered most.

Having suffered the humiliation of a home defeat to Hamilton the previous weekend, the trip to Dens Park was a chance to make amends, an opportunity to prove that they have the mental resolve to recover in the face of adversity and mounting pressure.

That the task proved to be beyond Rangers shouldn’t have come as a shock. This is a team that has taken several blows, but can’t pick themselves off the canvas and come out swinging.

A squad that has been overhauled in each of the last three summers remains not fit for purpose. It has cost millions to assemble but Rangers continue to pay the price in the Premiership.

Read more: Interim Rangers boss Graeme Murty set to remain in charge for Aberdeen double-header​

For the second time in a week, the Gers missed the chance to move above Hibernian and Aberdeen in the standings and neither their position – fourth - nor their points tally – 24 from 14 matches - are acceptable at this stage of the campaign.

The tale of woe at Dens was a familiar one as chances were spurned and mistakes were made. This is the kind of game that must be taken care of if you are to challenge at the top of the table, but it is sort of match that fans can have no confidence that their side will win.

It was left to Graeme Murty to try and find the words to explain where it had all gone wrong and he will now have to find a way of rallying his players going into the huge top flight clash with Aberdeen on Wednesday night.

The fact that it was Murty in the dugout is one of the reasons why Rangers find themselves in this situation in first place but that does not excuse the last two performances that the Light Blues have produced and the embarrassments that they have suffered.

Murty’s stint as interim boss should have come to an end after he followed up the victory over Hearts with another against Partick Thistle but the inaction of the Ibrox board has kept him on the touchline.

Read more: Chris Jack: Rangers board need big results on and off the park in AGM week

Like he did earlier in the year when he stepped in following the departure of Mark Warburton, the 43-year-old has handled himself impeccably in recent weeks.

The defeat to Dundee clearly hurt him, though, and after the highs of back-to-back wins he is experiencing the other side of life as Rangers manager at present. It is a position that Murty may hold on a permanent basis one day, but it won’t and shouldn’t be now.

He is working in challenging circumstances and there will be sympathy from supporters at the mess he has inherited and state of flux he finds himself in.

Given the comparable resources he is working with, Murty will know there are no excuses for not beating Hamilton and Dundee in successive matches, however.

It is only natural that the players the Under-20s boss has been asked to oversee will be impacted by the uncertainty over who will replace Pedro Caixinha. Some will fear for their place in the team, others will question whether they have a future at the club.

Read more: Interim Rangers boss Graeme Murty set to remain in charge for Aberdeen double-header​

But the understanding from the terraces will only stretch so far and many fans are now at breaking point as attentions turn to a double-header that will have ramifications both on and off the park.

Any week that sees Rangers play Aberdeen twice is always going to be hugely significant, but this one has the added drama and intrigue of the Annual General Meeting on Thursday.

Even if Murty can somehow coax an improved showing out of his players and ensure the Dons don’t follow up their historic Ibrox win from May with another victory, it may not be enough to placate the punters that now have their sights set on the Light Blues board.

When Dave King and his directors finally answer the biggest question of them all and unveil the next Rangers boss, the here and now and the immediate future at Ibrox will become clearer. It won’t solve all the problems, though.

The right man could make a real difference but the players that will come under his guidance will have to improve markedly or face being part of another Ibrox clear out. Few could have many complaints if that was the case.

Read more: Chris Jack: Rangers board need big results on and off the park in AGM week

Rangers remain more than capable of finishing second this term but fans have little faith that the pre-season ambition will be achieved come the end of the campaign.

The back-to-back meetings with Derek McInnes’ side aren’t make-or-break for that particular aim, but they will have a real bearing on where Rangers are heading in the coming months.

Demands are high but expectations are low amongst a support that covets success but has been starved of it. The next surprise must be a pleasant one for the Light Blue legions.