Rangers are languishing 13 points behind their old firm rivals Celtic amid unrest among a fanbase expectant of success.

With the league likely gone, the Scottish Cup offers the best chance of silverware for the side and it is a “must win” for the club according to ex-Rangers and Scotland winger Neil McCann.

Speaking on William Hill’s The Warm-Up, the five-time winner of the Scottish Cup conceded that even winning the cup is not enough for Rangers, who have finished runners-up behind their bitter Glasgow rivals Celtic for the past three seasons. 

He said: “It’s not enough, winning leagues is where Rangers want to be. Winning cups is nice but if you can’t win the league [then] you win the Scottish Cup.”

Rangers manager Philippe Clement and his players face increasing pressure from an expectant fanbase and in recent weeks Ibrox has been the scene of protests over their dismal domestic form.

During their recent 3-1 league victory over St Johnstone, Union Bears – a Rangers ultras group – staged a walkout on 55 minutes. They have since warned that protests will continue until “there is real change for our club”.

Entering at the fourth round stage, Rangers made a perfect start to their Scottish Cup campaign as Nigerian forward Cyriel Dessers scored a hattrick in a 5-0 victory over the fifth-tier Highland League side Fraserburgh.

Rangers are yet to find out who they will face in the next round of the cup but if they are able to win the competition for the first time since the 2021/22 season, McCann explained that it could act as a catalyst for league success next year.

He said: “In 2002, we’d done nothing the year before. Alex McLeish came in and we won the two cups [Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup]. We used that as a catalyst and we then went on to win a treble the next year. 

“That Scottish Cup for Rangers is a must and it should be driven that [way].”

Also on the panel was Steven Naismith who had the same experience as McCann, winning both the league and cup in the 2008/9 season after Rangers lifted the Scottish Cup the season prior. 

Elsewhere for Rangers, they remain in the final automatic qualifying place for the UEFA Europa League round of 16 and look well set to earn a place in the knockout stages, whether it be straight through to the latter stages or a place in the play-offs. 

They face a tough trip to Old Trafford to face a wounded Manchester United side before ending their European league campaign against Belgium’s Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.