Ahead of Rangers v St Johnstone in Perth the club know anything other than three points will see further pressure mount on the future of these players and this management team.
The time has now come to start getting results and wishy-washy post-match comments about dominating matches are wearing thin as Rangers threaten to blow their title defence.
Rangers have not won an away league game in four attempts since football resumed after the winter break and after a diabolical 2-2 draw with Motherwell at Ibrox, have only 13 points from 24.
This is awful form for any Rangers manager and without the backdrop of the Borussia Dortmund victory the knifes would already be out, even if you can hear them being sharpened in the distance.
Rangers fans are running out of patience domestically and this Rangers team and management are seriously running out of time to keep them on side as the season bottlenecks.
That Rangers are now three points behind after holding a six-point lead on Hogmanay is only forgivable if the club can turn it around and the buck stops with the players and manager.
They have some making up to do and it begins with this match against St Johnstone.
Pressure on Rangers v St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park
The biggest decision of the match – and one Giovanni van Bronckhorst simply must make for everyone involved – concerns the goalkeeper.
Allan McGregor is in woeful form and shipping goals far too easily in the league, with Jon McLaughlin surely a shoo-in to be called into action so everyone can take a breather.
John Lundstram as one half of a centre-back pairing will surely be binned after 90 minutes and Gio revert back to type with an actual centre-half. We expect Goldson and Balogun to start.
Next up is James Tavernier at right-back and Calvin Bassey at left-back, with Barisic’s fragility a weakness in the side as of late.
Midfield should see the return of Ryan Jack alongside John Lundstram, with a passive and underperforming Glen Kamara sidelined.
Joe Aribo should retain his place in front whilst Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Fashion Sakala should continue up top.
Rangers predicted XI v St Johnstone – 4-2-3-1/4-3-3
GK – Allan McGregor
DR – James Tavernier
DC – Connor Goldson
DC – Leon Balogun
DL – Calvin Bassey
CDM – Ryan Jack
CDM – John Lundstram
CAM – Joe Aribo
RW – Fashion Sakala
ST – Alfredo Morelos
LW – Ryan Kent
