IT HAS been a highly emotional and difficult few days for everyone in the Rangers family.

At the moment, there is a lot of anger with what we have watched on the pitch. Off it, the truth is there are far more important things going on. Walter Smith's sad passing was a horrible, upsetting moment for everyone in the Rangers community. 

His loss has touched everyone and the outpouring of grief which we have seen from world figures in our beautiful game, a testament to a man that set standards on and off the pitch for Rangers to follow.

Those standards were quite simple, as he once famously said: "If you cross this line, be prepared to put yourself second - and it’s the only time that should be acceptable." 

Walter was Mr Rangers. He always will be.

I grew up with the man and when duty called for him he was not left wanting. He returned to the club in 2007 and took a Rangers team that was a mess to winning domestic honours and a European final within a few years. For two years he didn’t - and couldn’t - even sign a player.

In one of his finest ever moments, like a general marshalling his troops Smith organised a nine-man Rangers side effectively enough to win a cup final by coming down to the touchline and almost single-handedly grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck. There were, of course, greater successes than the League Cup that day but that is the one that speaks loudly to me when I think of him. 

It was and is symbolic to everything that Walter was for us all. When we needed him he was there to guide us. Even when he retired, many spent several years wishing he would dust down the brown brogues one more time. 

Walter will be sadly missed and his legacy will forever live on. A family man, a loving husband, a father and a wonderful grandfather. A gentleman to everyone. Mr Rangers to you and me.

Now to matters on the pitch. I need to be careful with what I say here because things are very raw but, quite frankly, I am absolutely furious with that effort on Wednesday night.

The worst thing you can do is write something when you are feeling that way because it’s hard to see past the emotion, so I won’t go too in-depth. 

I will, however, say some things that may or may not be controversial.

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The Connor Goldson situation has gone on too long and he is making mistakes. He also knows he will never be dropped for it because there is no one to replace him. That uncertainty is spreading throughout the team and a defence that was previously so solid has now conceded first in a game eight times, compared with just four last season. 

A player either wants to be at Irox or he doesn't so, in short, if Goldson isn’t going to sign the contract then the club must seriously consider if he is to be involved. At this moment, his presence seems to be more of a hindrance than a positive. 

Secondly, the lack of pace in this Rangers team is alarming. They were so boring and predictable last night that Aberdeen easily kept them out; they played almost entirely in front of them. It was easy to defend and very easy to play against. This has been a theme of the season: side-to-side passing and ineffective play. 

To continually set up this way is on the management - they are getting it wrong. It seems there are players in the team on reputation alone and certainly not on current form. The brightest players remain sidelined and the most obvious one is Nathan Patterson because the man in front of him, James Tavernier, looks absolutely spent.

There is a huge disconnect in the midfield and John Lundstram needs to stop ‘stopping’ with the ball and slowing everything down. Those extra touches and a lack of pace is affecting everyone - especially in a team that tries to break quickly. The balance of that midfield just doesn't seem right.

We have seen this before - with Liverpool one outstanding recent example - that sometimes teams peak and the emotional and physical toll it takes means a refresh is needed. Rangers is a mirror image of that. 

Scott Wright and Fashion Sakala are not better than Kemar Roofe or Alfredo Morelos but they offer a pace and menace that the very stagnant current frontline don’t. That’s a situation the management have to recognise.

That said, Rangers have been good in brief spells. However, the first 20 minutes against Aberdeen and on Sunday against St Mirren should ring massive alarm bells throughout. 

Any team that hopes to be successful can’t go behind eight times before the season has even reached November. They certainly can’t ship so many points at home by this point and expect trophies to arrive. 

This is a crossroads for the management and they need to rectify the issues. It is their job to sort it - and quickly.

If they don't then we all know where this is heading - and one thing is for sure, the man we all mourn and miss would never accept that happening.

Wake up Rangers, before you do more damage.