When things are going well, there can be few better places to be for a footballer than in a Rangers jersey. When things are not going so well though, as is currently the case, there can be few more challenging clubs with which to ply your trade.

The demands and the expectation levels at Ibrox though are nothing new. They are baked in with the lucrative contract, and every Rangers player should be fully aware that the level of performance they produced at Rugby Park on Sunday afternoon was far short of the acceptable standard.

And if they didn’t, they certainly do now. Their fans travelled in their thousands to Ayrshire through the teeth of a storm, but that proved rather tame in comparison to the reception the Rangers players walked into at the final whistle.

Leon Balogun has been at the club long enough to know exactly what was coming. The big defender may only have played a bit-part in proceedings as a replacement for the woefully out of sorts Robin Propper, but he had to take the barrage of criticism on the chin like everyone else.

That, according to Balogun, is just the way it is, and while he thinks that the abuse the players are subjected to can sometimes cross a line, he stressed that the reaction and the frustration of the supporters after what they witnessed at Rugby Park was fully justified.

"It's frustrating, disappointing,” Balogun said.

“We made our bed, and we have to lay in it. We have to take responsibility for that [performance], obviously. There's no need to say how frustrating it is, it is extremely frustrating.

“It's not always easy to handle, I know that, and I understand that. But that's just what this place is like, and you have to live up to their expectations. I think the supporters are entitled to their frustration.

“I give that to the supporters. They really give their all to support us everywhere, near and far. But it comes with something. You can't just take that for granted.

"I'm not saying anyone does. But you have to know that if you don't deliver, it can be uncomfortable. And you have to try to live up to their expectations as much as you can.

"It's not always reasonable what you then receive. I'm not for abuse of any sorts. But the criticism that comes up after a day like [Sunday], I think you have to face it.

"For me personally, and I can only speak for myself, I've been in many situations, worse situations than that, a lot worse. And like I said, you have to understand them. You have to understand what this club stands for, the history of the club.

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"If you sign for this club, you have to know that there's a lot of expectation. And if you don't live up to that expectation, there might be really uncomfortable moments.

"You won't always think it's reasonable, but you have to understand it. And you just have to get on with it, that's what I'm trying to say.

"That's their right to question things. They are the heartbeat of the club, and I think it's only right that they are there to question.”

So, what now for the embattled Philippe Clement and his players? The Rangers manager has tried to plead for patience that he must know deep down won’t be proffered, citing the mitigation of trying to get a host of new players up to speed with not only what he expects of them, but what the jersey demands.

For Balogun, the answers can be found from looking within, with the defender adamant there are enough leaders within the dressing room to pull them out of this sticky period.

"Definitely, definitely,” he said.

“I think we've shown that in this season already as well, but obviously there's not much ammunition I have right now after a game like [Sunday].

"You try to do this every game, every training session. And obviously, there's new players, yes. Again, not an excuse.

"One might take a bit more time than the other. It also has to do with game time because you need to get used to certain things.

"But at the same time, you step into an environment that is not giving you a lot of time.

"So, you have to adapt fast and know what's coming.”

Another frustrating aspect of the game at Rugby Park for Balogun is that the Rangers players knew exactly what was coming from their opponent, and what they would have to bring in terms of energy and desire to get a result.

One of the oldest adages in the game is that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, and the theoretically greater technical qualities of the Rangers players never threatened to shine through, with manager Clement lamenting their inability to win their individual duels.

"I agree with that,” Balogun added.

“I think you know beforehand that Kilmarnock is always a difficult place to come to.

"That's not supposed to serve as an excuse. They have a really good home record. That's for a reason, but you know that before.

"You know that when you go into the season, you know it's a tough place to play. And you have to earn the right to play there.

"And it's very simple, we didn't earn the right to play. We were not aggressive enough in decisive moments. We didn't bring that edge that you need to bring in order to force the game onto them.

"And in the end, we got punished. It feels a bit harsh, but I think they had the clearer chances over the 90 minutes. Like I said, we made that bed for ourselves, and we have to lay in it.

"It's frustrating. I don't like saying that, but you have to be clear about it. "