Rangers on verge of 'crisis' as Michael Stewart and ex Ibrox star claim Ibrox meltdown 'isn't far away'

Ex-Rangers star Alan Hutton and Michael Stewart have suggested the Ibrox club are not far away from a full-on “crisis” - with both pundits agreeing that Philippe Clement’s side would have been faced “intense” backlash had Hibs converted their penalty at the weekend.

The Gers have recorded three wins across four competitions and conceded no goals since their Old Firm defeat to Celtic, with Clement managing to steady the ship since their derby day disappointment at Parkhead. Tom Lawrence’s stunning match-winner was enough to scrape a narrow 1-0 victory over the capital club in their most recent outing, but one-time Gers right-back Hutton was left concerned by his old team’s failure to put their foot on the pedal.

Following an encouraging performance in the Europa League win over Swedish outfit Malmo last week, Hutton admitted he fully expected Rangers to thrash Hibs back on home soil. Goalkeeper Jack Butland had to come to his team mates rescue when he saved Mykola Kukharevych’s spot-kick after John Souttar was penalised for handball.

And the display didn’t impress Hutton or Stewart who both believe the narrative of a resurgence around Ibrox could go awry at any moment.

Speaking on the Scottish Football Social Club, Hutton admitted: “They huffed and puffed. This was off the back of a really good performance in Malmo, probably their best of the season. But I just expected them to go and put their foot down.

“When Hibs get the penalty, and for me it was a penalty... I was worried, thinking if it's 1-1, where does this end up? Hibs became the better team in the second half, Rangers struggled, and you could feel the tension build in the stadium.

“I kept on thinking it's as if they're just one step away from being in a crisis. That's the moment it felt like, going from an amazing performance to that, it was a worry!”

Stewart was in agreement, adding: “Watching that game, after all the positivity in Sweden, had that result against Hibs not been three points, it would have been (a crisis). The pressure would have been intense and it would have been so much negativity thrown right back onto the team. It wasn't far away from being that. Hibs performed pretty well, but they didn't win, and Rangers did. That ultimately is the most important thing.”