We’ve not covered this topic at all, leaving it entirely for the time being, but having processed the implications of Celtic’s horrendous start to life under returning manager Brendan Rodgers, there’s no question that, Killie aside, Rangers have made a vastly superior start to the season to the eastern lot.

Despite our expensive strike force not quite clicking as quickly as we’d hoped, it’s Celtic who are absolutely in the doldrums before we are even in September, and their returning boss has gone completely backwards in every sense.

We know this article will attract a few of the ‘who cares about them’ brigade, but they are our next domestic opponent following PSV, and the winner of that one is winner takes all.

It would be, literally, the first time Rangers have topped the league since the 26th of January last year – well over 18 months ago.

A lot has happened and changed since then, including a European final, a Scottish Cup, you name it.

Now, let’s lay out where things are right now – a previously-misfiring Rangers has, in the last handful of matches, played more good games than bad. Killie and Morton were the only two bad performances, and we scraped a win in one of them.

Overall, in Europe, we’ve been great – there is no doubt we’ve been great. While we weren’t incredible v Servette, it was good enough, and we definitely produced a fine night v PSV.

That was followed up by a great display in Dingwall.

Meanwhile Celtic have been dumped out of a cup and dropped their first domestic points in the course of 7 days, while their manager admits he’s struggling and a few of their players say they’re off form.

What does this mean? It means that there’s a huge door being opened in front of Michael Beale and Rangers – that just at the right time our side is catching form, and starting to look a bit like a team, while their side is limping.

We did say the departure of Ange would have massive implications, and Rodgers’ success first time around was largely helped by a truly diabolical Rangers.

In a few short weeks, Michael Beale has, it seems, resolved a lot of the mess he seemed to have made – we demanded he fixed it, and lo and behold the picture is looking brighter a month or so on.

But them’s lot is going the other way.

This doesn’t mean it’s all sorted and ‘56 is here woo hoo’! It means there’s an opening for Rangers, a gap that is widening – our rivals are miles off form, their manager is struggling and they have no defence.

Meanwhile our lot looks much brighter.

This is one to continue, to persist with, to prove next week that Rangers are on the up. We prove that by beating Celtic.

When it matters. This is what is on Michael Beale now – carry this momentum on with a good result/performance midweek v PSV, then the same again where it really matters v timothy.

Manage that, and he will gain a tonne of support and the fans will be completely onside.

Can he? Maybe… just maybe…