Rangers fans have seen this script before, and the familiar sense of déjà vu is hitting hard. Back-to-back league defeats at the start of the post-split schedule have sent shockwaves through Ibrox, raising urgent questions about the team's direction and resolve.

The scenario is particularly painful this season. Wilting in a title race with Celtic is one thing, but falling behind when a non-Old Firm club—one that hasn't won the top flight in 66 years and operates on a fraction of Rangers' budget—is leading the charge? That's a different level of concern entirely.

Club legend Ally McCoist has voiced what many are thinking, questioning the squad's mental toughness, their inability to string together a full 90-minute performance, and the noticeable lack of a Scottish core in the dressing room. Head coach Danny Rohl has pushed back against these mindset doubts, but the numbers tell a different story.

Before the split, Rangers had suffered just two Premiership losses all season. Now, they've already matched that total in their first two post-split matches. Even more troubling is Rohl's record against top-six opposition: in 14 matches against teams from the upper half of the table, Rangers have managed only six wins. Factor in Scottish Cup and League Cup exits to Celtic, and that record drops to six victories in 16 games across all competitions.

Sub-par player recruitment has also come under fire, with reports suggesting Rangers have spent up to £40 million across the last two transfer windows. The irony was painfully clear on Monday night, as Lawrence Shankland—a player Rangers reportedly passed on when he was available as a free agent last summer—smashed in the winner to all but end their title hopes. Shankland's 18th goal of the season came at the expense of a Rangers attack featuring Youssef Chermiti (12 goals), Bojan Miovski (13 goals), and Ryan Naderi (three goals). Combined, those three cost around £15 million.

With the season now likely to fizzle out—even with a crucial Old Firm derby looming on Sunday that carries huge stakes for their Glasgow rivals—Rangers face a summer of the same uncomfortable questions. The pattern is all too familiar, and the answers remain frustratingly out of reach.