GRAEME MURTY last night apologised to the Rangers supporters and admitted his team’s performance at Dundee was completely unacceptable.

The caretaker manager did not mince his words or hide behind the fact the 2-1 defeat at Dens Park did not come close to the expectation levels at Ibrox.

Rangers were utterly dreadful in the first-half, which saw them lose two goals, and fred only slightly better after the break. Joe Garner gave his side a chance, but in truth they did not deserve a point.

Read more: No more second thoughts: Dundee debacle is proof Rangers bid to be best of the rest is flat out of the question

It was the first time Rangers have lost at Dens Park in 19 games, a run stretching back to 1992.

Murty said: “The fans have been through the wringer and they deserve better than we gave them.

“We can say we’ll endeavour to put those things right, and half-time we addressed certain issues, but we need to be better in terms of showing commitment.

“It’s disappointing. It’s not really easy to put in words the emotions myself and the players are going through.

“We have to be better than that and it’s not acceptable, we know that and they know that, and we’ll take this on the chin.

"But there’s no doubt, that’s not acceptable.

“Dundee were particularly aggressive, there was an organisation to them and they tackled hard. We didn’t match that till half-time. If you give any team 45 minutes and a two-goal head start it’s hard to get back into it.

“It’s incredibly frustrating. I didn’t think we got any control on the game or managed to disrupt their patter and shape. We didn’t implement the things we wanted to do and we didn’t control the ball and pass it the way we expect them to.

Read more: No more second thoughts: Dundee debacle is proof Rangers bid to be best of the rest is flat out of the question

“Dundee had made the game what they wanted it to be.”

Murty could still be in charge come Friday night when Rangers face Inverness in the Highlands, although the calls for even an interim to be appointed will grow louder.

When it was put to him that the uncertainty regarding the manager’s situation was affecting the players, the former Scotland international stressed that could not be used as an excuse.

“It’ll come as it comes, neither the players nor I can be control of that,” said Murty when asked about when the new manager could be appointed.

“They can only be in control of their attitude and physicality when they walk onto pitch. There is no other time to go and put it right than on the pitch. They need to be ready to go.

“The disruption has got nothing to do with players showing the right attitude and commitment. They were full prepared, they know what it meant, that they would have a battle and have to more than match that.

“But I’ve been honest and told them they didn’t do that for 45 minutes.”

The Rangers supporters once again booed their team off the park. With two Old Firm matches at least still to play, they will be rightly concerned what will happen to a side so lacking in character.

And with Aberdeen now six points ahead, second place is beginning to look less than likely.

Murty said: “You saw a team that have struggled to turn it around when things went against them. When your confidence takes a knock that can be a symptom.

Read more: No more second thoughts: Dundee debacle is proof Rangers bid to be best of the rest is flat out of the question

“But there are more than enough characters in the squad to turn it around.

“We just need them to come to the fore, grab the game by the scruff of the neck and change the manner of it.

“There’s a long way to go. If we apply ourselves and hit maximum heights anything can happen. Right now I’m just thinking of this game.

"The far-reaching bits of the league and who’ll finish where... I’m not concerned with that.”

Clint Hill is a doubt for Friday after a head knock forced him off in the first-half, while a booking for goalscorer Garner means he missed the Celtic match at Parkhead.