A few days ago Ibrox Noise was offering some very optimistic takes on this January window and the state of the squad.

We’re not about to say it’s all gone horribly wrong, but overall, we have to say what appears to be just three new signings (assuming Cortes is confirmed) and only one significant piece of dead wood gone maybe isn’t the dramatic overhaul we needed.

The big fail, unless we get a huge surprise over the next 26 hours, is the lack of striker.

While we got Fabio Silva, and Cyriel Dessers is now a lot more popular than he was, there’s a massive feeling it’s just not enough to rely on those two for the whole season.

Even more tellingly, Rangers now only have, unless a miracle happens before 11:30 on Thursday night, one outright owned fit striker in the Nigerian. There is Danilo but he’s basically out for the season, and Sima as a false 9 but he’s also out long term, and that’s about it.

If we don’t get Cortes (and after the Jefte shambles that’s quite possible) we really will be looking at a rather poor transfer window.

Get him, and it looks a bit brighter at least.

In blunt terms, if Rangers don’t secure Cortes and a striker by end of play on Thursday night, it’s been a pretty poor window.

Silva has struggled so far, with Diomande potentially a great player but surely not enough alone.

See, we’re jumping between it potentially looking a little better on Thursday if some good news comes in, and it looking quite grim as things stand with just Silva and Diamonde.

Defence is fine, we (pun not intended) concede not much was needed there. Midfield was already pretty strong but has been made hopefully even better with the Ivory Coast star there.

But wings and attack? Well short. All areas here fall short, and you only have to look at goals for in the SPL to see how short. 9 goals shy of Celtic, a significant gulf.

Cortes coming in would help, we hope, but that still leaves playmaker, wings and striker needing more.

And it doesn’t look like that will happen now.

We won’t make any verdicts until the end of play on Thursday, that wouldn’t be fair.

We will simply cross our fingers and hope Cortes and A Striker arrive in Govan.