Rangers fell further behind in the title race at Ibrox this afternoon, contesting a goalless draw with Aberdeen in a dire, drab game.
Remarkably today's setback represents the Light Blues' third consecutive goalless draw whilst on League business - and to be blunt in those 270 minutes there has been precious little inspirational football from the reigning champions.
Manager Walter Smith made five changes from Dumfries, with Allan McGregor, Steven Smith, Lee McCulloch, Nacho Novo and Kenny Miller replacing Neil Alexander, the injured Sasa Papac, Steve Davis, the suspended Pedro Mendes and Kris Boyd. The absence of Davis in particular mystified many in the crowd.
Rangers had a chance to make a stunning start when Jerome Rothen's free-kick was parried by visiting goalkeeper Jamie Langfield - but neither the inrushing Novo nor Steven Naismith could convert the opportunity.
It took the game some time to warm up thereafter - Rothen seeing his twenty-yard left-foot drive from a Miller pass turned wide by Langfield in eighteen minutes.
Seven minutes later Miller was through on a McCulloch pass only to see his effort deflected wide.
The Govan air was polluted with sickening chants and songs from the Aberdeen support - vile and moronic offerings about Novo, Neil Simpson and Ian Durrant. One wonders exactly what action the SPL will take against this despicable scum...?
Rothen came close to opening the scoring in 39 minutes when his 25-yard free-kick was touched over by Langfield.
Twice more before the interval Langfield kept a clean sheet - firstly when he blocked Novo's shot following a Miller break, then a Naismith - Miller - Novo move saw the Dons 'keeper touch over the Spaniard's angled drive.
Aberdeen had been ultra-defensive during the first-half, but they did manage to cross the halfway line two minutes after the restart when - from a Peter Pawlett corner - Andy Considine's header was punched clear by McGregor.
Rangers came agonisingly close to the opener in 52 minutes when Rothen fed Smith wide on the left, the full-back's cross to the near post finding Novo whose prodded shot was cleared off the line by Considine.
Ten minutes later Boyd replaced Naismith - but play was now littered with injury stoppages as the visitors sought to waste time at every opportunity, gamesmanship that went entirely unpunished by the incompetent Referee Iain Brines.
Midway through the second-half there was a scare for the Ibrox men when Charlie Mulgrew's corner was missed by McGregor, the loose ball being headed wide by Considine.
Boyd came close in 71 minutes when his header from a Steven Whittaker chip drifted wide, then sixty seconds later Novo's low angled drive from a Boyd pass hit the post.
Time however was running out for the Ibrox men - McCulloch's header from a Rothen corner landing on the roof of the net in 83 minutes.
In a last throw of the dice, John Fleck substituted for Miller, whilst at the same time Andrew Little came on for the injured Smith.
In one final attack, Whittaker's cross found Madjid Bougherra who nodded on to Boyd who headed wide.
A scandalous three minutes injury time was all that Iain Brines allowed - the minimum possible with five substitutions having been made during the second-half. In reality it should have been at least double that, but at the final whistle a crescendo of booing cascaded down from the stands.
Afterwards Walter Smith commented:
"We haven't been at our sharpest for some weeks, even when winning games. It's a problem that's causing concern. We haven't reached the levels of last season in terms of our play in the final third of the pitch. That's where it counts and we will need to get it sorted out."
RANGERS McGregor; Whittaker, Weir, Bougherra, Smith (Little 83); Naismith (Boyd 62), McCulloch, Thomson, Rothen; Novo, Miller (Fleck 83)
UNUSED SUBS Alexander, Beasley, Loy, Wilson
ABERDEEN Langfield; Foster, Considine, Ifil (Duff 44), Mulgrew; Pawlett (Maguire 79), Kerr, McDonald, Fyvie, Paton (Mackie 87); Miller
UNUSED SUBS Crawford, Nelson, Young, Stewart
REFEREE Iain Brines