Rangers failed to make it five league wins in a row as a disjointed, error-ridden performance saw them held 0–0 by newly promoted Falkirk at Ibrox.
Danny Röhl made four changes from Thursday night’s damaging draw with Braga, but the improvement he hoped for never arrived.
With Hearts wobbling and Celtic far from convincing in their win over Hibernian at Easter Road, Rangers entered the afternoon with a chance to quietly build momentum.
Instead, they delivered another flat home display that highlighted why the opening third of the season has been so turbulent.
Falkirk, organised and confident, posed problems early. Their direct play unsettled Rangers, who were repeatedly sloppy in possession.
A 13th-minute break saw the visitors carve Rangers open before a goal-bound shot was blocked. At the other end, Oliver Antman, Thelo Aasgaard and Bojan Miovski all failed to make meaningful use of rare openings.
The home support’s frustration grew as Nasser Djiga and Emmanuel Fernandez exchanged aimless passes at the back, while Rangers’ forwards offered little penetration.
Shouts for a penalty on Miovski were ignored, and Falkirk continued to find space on the break with James Tavernier being caught in possession for one of several nervy defensive moments.
Nedim Bajrami, in from the cold, provided Rangers only spark, twice beating multiple players before curling an effort just wide.
It was the closest the Gers came in a drab first half.
Second half – chaos without control
Surprisingly, Röhl made no changes at the break and unsurprisingly the pattern continued: Rangers huffing, Falkirk threatening.
Jack Butland was forced into a crucial sliding challenge and then a near-post save, as defensive lapses from Djiga and Aasgaard nearly gifted Falkirk the opener.
Changes arrived shortly before the hour with Jayden Meghoma and Djeidi Gassama introduced - yet even then, Rangers remained frantic and wasteful.
Gassama should have scored when clean through, and Bajrami somehow failed to convert the rebound.
Falkirk grew stronger as the half wore on. Butland produced another save late on before Djiga almost headed into his own net during a tense closing spell.
Rangers last chance fell to Fernandez, who dragged wide.
Full-time: boos and resignation
The boos at full-time told their own story.
This was another lethargic, lifeless home performance from a team that looks mentally drained, structurally fragile and creatively barren.
Rangers may have changed their Head Coach, Sporting Director and CEO before Christmas, but the problems that remain on the pitch feel entrenched.
Several summer signings look short of the required level, and the fanbase - shrinking in number during a cost-of-living crisis - is rapidly losing patience.
The January window cannot come quickly enough.
Whether the club can salvage this squad, or will be forced into drastic surgery, now looks the defining question of the season.
Rangers XI: Butland; Tavernier (C), Djiga, Fernandez, Aarons; Raskin, Barron; Antman, Aasgaard, Bajrami; Miovski.