John Rankin has admitted Dundee United deserve to end up in the Championship after playing like they did against Hamilton Accies.
Rankin was left struggling to explain why the Tangerines put on such a woeful display as they lost 3-1 at Tannadice.
The result left them eight points adrift of second-bottom Kilmarnock, who had lost up in Inverness by the same scoreline earlier in the day, with four matches to play.
It also meant they are now left hoping Killie don’t beat Accies at New Douglas Park on Saturday as such an outcome would leave them facing the likelihood of being relegated by city rivals Dundee at Dens Park next Monday night.
Maybe the arithmetic says differently, but it actually felt like United were relegated by this Hamilton defeat and Rankin didn’t really for argue against such a suggestion, conceding they need “a football miracle.”
He revealed that he sympathised for all the fans who had to watch their team fold, including those who gathered outside Tannadice afterwards to protest against the board.
He said: “I feel for those fans.
“They are obviously devastated to see the club in this position.
“We could hear them from the dressing room.
“It’s not nice, especially as most of it was caused by our performance.
“I think the fans deserve much more than that,” added Rankin, who went over to talk to some supporters at full-time and applauded them.
“One punter called me over and told me he had just come off a 12-hour night shift to watch that.
“To be honest, I sympathise with him, because if you put in performances like that, you deserve to be in the Championship.
“Let’s not kid anyone on, we were terrible.
“It’s not good enough.
“And I feel for him, I feel for all the punters, because they pay their hard-earned cash to come and watch us.
“Our performances all season have not been up to scratch.
“I feel for them, I really do, and I stayed at the end to applaud the fans. A few of us did because that’s the least they deserve.”
Rankin was asked if he was now dreaded what could be a relegation derby at Dens.
He replied: “I don’t dread any game.
“I mean, it’s one of those.
“In football, you never know when your last game is going to be.
“It’s a massive, massive game now, going across the road.
“It is going to be very difficult, going over to Dens, and it’s another must-win.
“Listen, we are needing a football miracle. We really are.
“I can’t explain how devastated we are.”