Kris Boyd believes Rangers are 'behind the eight ball' in the title race with Celtic before a ball is even kicked.

The former Gers striker has taken aim at his old club over the delays to the construction work being carried out at Ibrox.

It's widely expected that the works will not be finished in time for the start of the Scottish Premiership season in August.

And so, Ibrox chiefs will need to work hard to find Philippe Clement and his players a temporary home to fulfill home matches in the meantime.

Boyd reckons it could be October before Rangers finally get to play a proper home match in their own stadium again.

He insists it simply isn't good enough, and the supporters who part with their hard-earned every year need proper answers.

"We deserve better. Rangers fans have unveiled banners with those words a few times at Ibrox in recent years," Boyd wrote in his Scottish Sun column. "Nobody could blame them if they do so again in the coming months.

"Well, that is if Ibrox is able to host a game any time soon.

There are only 36 days until the start of the season and we still don’t know where Rangers will be playing their home fixtures in the early weeks of the campaign. Or months, going by the average delay to any kind of building work.

"With so many season-defining games coming up, it’s a crazy situation to get yourself into.

"Rangers fans, in their tens of thousands, have parted with their hard-earned cash to buy season tickets for 2024-25. Not that it makes them any more important, but there are also supporters who have bought hospitality packages for Ibrox at an increased cost.

"And if Rangers relocate to Murrayfield or Hampden temporarily, where does it leave them?

"None of these fans have been given an answer on where they will be watching their team. Rangers could be five or six ‘home’ games in before the punters get to see them at Ibrox.

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"As those banners have stated in the past, the fans deserve better. Rangers have claimed the hold-up is down to delays with steel coming in from Asia. Apparently a project manager has already carried the can and been relieved of his duties.

"I’m sorry, these excuses don’t wash. It’s nowhere near good enough. This whole situation needs to be addressed properly by Rangers.

"The club’s bosses were vocal last season about the state of Dundee’s pitch after multiple postponements — and rightly so. But I bet Dens chief John Nelms is thinking to himself now, ‘At least we had a stadium to play in . . .’

"It’s crazy that Rangers have got themselves in this mess. I find it hard to believe really. Listen, these Ibrox upgrades have been planned for a while, and I am all for making sure every supporter gets the best possible experience of watching their team.

"But was it really a wise decision to embark on the work this summer? The timing was always going to be tight with the new season coming around so quickly.

"Surely, Rangers should only have started work on the Copland Road stand with a guarantee it would be finished in time for August?

"Right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s touching October before Ibrox is available.

"My old club has dropped the ball big-time on this and you wonder just how damaging it might be for them.

"In terms of the title race, Rangers are already behind the eight ball before a game has even been played."