STEVEN DAVIS knows better than most at Rangers what it takes to win the title.

And the midfielder is confident Steven Gerrard's side have the physical and mental strengths to go all the way and lift the Premiership crown.

The Gers find themselves on the back foot at the top of the table after dropping five points in a week as they lost to Hearts and were then held at home by Aberdeen.

Gerrard's side still have a game in hand over Celtic but many have written Rangers off as they have fallen seven points adrift in the standings.

Davis was part of the last Rangers squad to win the title nine years ago and the Northern Irishman is still sure the current crop have the right credentials to end the long wait for success this term.

He said: "I think we have certainly got the quality in the squad to win silverware, there is no doubt about that.

"There will always be question marks about the mentality until we go and actually produce and win something and that is just the nature of the beast.

"It is probably banded about too quickly if you lose or drop points in a game, for me. It is not through a lack of desire, there is a huge hunger in that dressing room to be a success here and we will do everything to give ourselves the best possible chance to do that.

Glasgow Times:

"Over the course of the season you are not always going to play well but you have to find a way to win games and that is something that we lacked at Hearts.

"Maybe it was a bit of game management. We got ourselves in front but then to go on and lose the game was hugely disappointing on a day where we openly admit that we didn’t perform well.

"It is just about getting that balance and make sure you continue to remain balanced."

Rangers return to action when they host Hibernian this evening and there is now little margin for error at the top.

The reaction to two damaging results has been predictable and many supporters now fear that the title is outwith Rangers' grasps this term.

After seven years at Southampton, Davis is now back in the heat of battle as Gerrard's side go head-to-head with Celtic and look to haul themselves into title contention in the coming weeks.

Davis said: "It was a hugely disappointing week in terms of the results, we can’t get away from that. There is also a lot of football to be played and I believe we have got the quality in this group to go on a strong run and give ourselves a real opportunity to be successful.

"We just need to get back to winning ways, get that confidence back in the team and start playing the type of football that we know we are capable of.

Glasgow Times:

"There is certainly not that scrutiny on every result [at Southampton]. Southampton, in terms of the size of club and where it is in the Premier League, it is a different pressure down there and a different mentality.

"We all know the demands of playing at this club and what it means. You can have seven or eight great months but everything can fall apart in a month potentially.

"We know the pressure we signed up to and we are looking forward to the challenges ahead in the remaining part of the season."