If there’s been one consistent the past four seasons, it’s been Rangers’ return from the winter break has been shambolic. We’d go into the three or four-week period in great form, but come back dismally, shambolically, a complete mess. Even 55 didn’t see us hitting the ground running and indeed we started drawing for the first time, with some very poor performances after the new year.

So could this be the first time a break has had the opposite effect?

Rangers go into the break this winter in a complete mess – half the players injured, half want to leave, the manager under excruciating pressure, the board under heavy criticism from fans. All in all, the situation is far from great.

Quite the opposite to how it usually is. Usually we have the momentum, we’re playing well, we have good results and we’re in the lead in the league. So it stands to reason that with us going into the break in this state, could the four+ weeks we now have actually help us to get players back, to get some new ideas in, give the manager some breathing room, and get some form going?

It’s usually what happens with them lot over there – they come back from the break with a completely renewed vigour and tend to be infinitely stronger in January onwards. With Rangers being the ones this time in poor form, there’s every chance the tables could be turned.

It takes just two convincing wins in a row to stem the tide, to repair a lot of the damage, and with the friendly v Leverkusen on the 10th of next month, a good performance in that one plus a decent one and result v Hibs five days later could go a long way in helping get some impetus back.

Are we clutching at straws? Maybe. But why NOT use the break to our advantage and why not US who come back from it in much better form than we left?

It’s about time Rangers got some momentum going, got some goals, and got some players back. A four-week time out from football could be the chance to do exactly that.