Rangers boss Russell Martin has defended his scathing assessment of their 1-1 draw in the opening game of the season against Motherwell at the weekend.
The result marked the third consecutive season the Gers have failed to win their opening match, and Martin pulled no punches in his post-match press conference.
"We were nowhere near where we need to be, and I'm extremely disappointed and hurt by that," he said.
"When you want to just jog around and do what you want to do, there's a big problem. Some of them have to drop their ego.
Rangers boss Russell Martin gave a scathing review of his side's performance on Saturday | Sky Sports"We need work out who really wants to be all in and who doesn’t.”
Martin’s side, who finished 17 points behind Celtic last year under the management of Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson, were booed off the pitch.
In the build-up for Rangers’ Champions League qualifier against Czech side Plzen, Martin backed his savage comments, but insisted they were “not personal”.
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Ahead of his side's Champions League qualifier against Plzen, the Rangers boss doubled down on his assessment but insisted it was 'not personal'
|Sky Sports
"I'm just always going to be honest with the players and the supporters," he said. "I'm just not here to play any games and be political and all that. I'm in a job that demands certain things, and when we fall short of that, there's just no point in hiding behind stuff.
"The fundamental problem on Saturday was not knowledge, was not ability, it was attitude. I wasn't emotional on Saturday, it was exactly what I said to the players. The response has been good.
“We weren't hard enough to play against on Saturday, so that's what it came down to. There was no point in sugarcoating it; the players know what to expect. I'm really honest with them, and I was really honest with everyone else, and people can make what they want of it."
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On questioning the players' ego, Martin explained: "It depends how you define ego. When I talk about that, it's the self-preservation stuff. And I don't mean it in a bad way. You need a bit of ego and a bit of edge to play at this football club, for sure.
"To be successful here, to take the ball, to want to show people that you're a good player, you have to have it. So it's not necessarily a bad thing.
"When I talk about it on Saturday, it's like the looking around when we lose the ball and maybe throwing your arms up at each other and all that stuff.
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Rangers drew 1-1 in their opening game of the season against Motherwell
|Getty
“It's the same conversation with the players. And then when they come in and they look at stuff, I think they understand why I would say it. So it's not an attack on anyone personally."
The former Southampton boss was not the only person critical of Rangers’ performance at the weekend, with goalkeeper Jack Butland claiming “people need to pull their finger out”, leading to questions over who that message was directed at.
The 39-year-old boss is looking for further additions to his squad to address the “ego” concerns and attempt to close the gap between themselves and Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic before the transfer window closes.
Notable additions this summer include Joe Rothwell and Max Aarons from Bournemouth, Thelo Aasgaard from Luton and young Spurs winger Mikey Moore.
The Gers continue their Champions League qualification campaign on Tuesday against Plzen, after beating Greek side Panathinaikos 3-1 on aggregate.
Martin’s maiden Ibrox league game comes on Saturday against Dundee United.