RANGERS have now lost five semi-finals in a row, failing to score a goal in any of them, and they have lost six games on the bounce at Hampden stretching back to the Scottish Cup final loss to Hibs in 2016.

Whichever way you look at it, that’s a pretty damning record, and on the surface it would seem to hint at a mentality issue when it comes to these big games.

Considering that during that time they have spent the guts of £25million on the squad, then it may not seem logical that the problem against Aberdeen on Sunday was a lack of quality, but for me, that was precisely the issue.

Manager Steven Gerrard pointed that out immediately after the match, and I agree with him that mentality was not the problem for this Rangers team at the national stadium.

You could argue that an issue with their psyche was to blame for the defeat to Motherwell last season when they were bullied out of the cup, but I don’t think that is an issue for this team.

I think for the most part, the big players have shown up in the big games, and I think the recruitment has been very good.

I was at the game on Sunday and I didn’t think that Aberdeen were very convincing. Rangers had the better structure, they passed the ball better, albeit they weren’t as fluent as they have been.

Looking back to the game against Spartak Moscow on Thursday night though, the issue was the same, a lack of quality in the final third.

Obviously Alfredo Morelos and Kyle Lafferty were out on Sunday, but I think there were similar issues on Thursday when Morelos was playing.

There has to be a spread of goals coming from everywhere. Ryan Kent has been chipping in, but I think what this Rangers team is crying out for is a midfielder who can take the game by the scruff of the neck, passes the ball forward and will take on the risky pass in order to create chances for the striker.

Our midfield is looking good on the whole. Ryan Jack is good, can get about the park and keeps it simple. Lassana Coulibaly does the same.

Ovie Ejaria has got ability, but if he’s going to play in the number 10 position then he’s got to start getting assists and scoring goals, because that’s the role. There’s no taking away from his talent, but you can’t just rely so heavily on the strikers.

On the right, you have Daniel Candeias, who I really like. He sets the tone in the team for hard work, but despite looking really bright running with the ball on Sunday, there again was a lack of quality in his decision-making and with his final ball.

I feel sorry for him though, because I think he gets a lot of unwarranted stick from the terraces. You can’t argue with his application and desire to go and play for a team he clearly loves, he just needs to show the quality we all know he has on a more regular basis.

So, I wouldn’t lay a whole lot of blame at the feet of Umar Sadiq for the lack of a cutting edge. He was feeding off scraps for the most part, and I’m not sure that any other striker would have made a huge difference on the day.

I think Rangers as a whole will learn a lot from the defeat on Sunday. They have to be more ruthless in front of goal, they have to be braver on the ball, and I think it is a lesson they will learn.

I liked Gerrard’s interview after the game. He was brutally honest, as he always is, and the Rangers players will know now that they have to perform to the best of their abilities at all times or they will be shown the door.

It’s a shame that all the snipers have been given a chance now to have a go at Gerrard, the club and the players, but that’s not for me. The simple reason? Because this Rangers team have given those snipers so little ammunition to date.

Look at the leaders that Rangers have in this team now, and the long way they have come in such a short space of time. You can’t just wave a magic wand and everything is going to be alright after the shambles of last season.

Yes, Gerrard’s Rangers side have carried on that unwanted Hampden hoodoo, but this season was always likely to be a rollercoaster with huge highs and lows.

The manager has said that himself. He has given plenty of highs so far to the supporters, particularly in Europe, so now that he has had a low I just hope that they are there to support him.

And I know they will be.