Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is undoubtedly going through the most testing period of his time as manager at Ibrox.
Indeed, you can’t even blame a reporter for asking if this was the most testing time of Steven Gerrard’s illustrious career full-stop as the ex-England captain looked ahead to Ross County [Rangers].
The Champions League-winning midfielder’s global reputation brought with him an aura which has begun to crack somewhere between Tynecastle in January and Ibrox against Hamilton on Wednesday night.
Whilst the Rangers boss is under pressure, you cannot understate the progress made at Ibrox under the Liverpool legend.
Prior to Gerrard joining the club, previous Rangers teams were floundering in 3rd and European football was a very distant fantasy, let alone a last-16 reality.
Rangers have also attracted a standard of footballer – off the back of Gerrard’s standing in the game and the exciting nature of the project – that they couldn’t before the Scouser arrived.
That’s before we talk about the fact Rangers have an XI who can go toe-to-toe with Celtic in the Old Firm derby, in a one-off game at least.
We were getting scudded 5-1 on our own patch before he took the reins – it was miles worse.
There has been progress; and a lot of money spent to achieve it.
But the Rangers manager and his team deserve credit for it and have banked enough with the board, both metaphorically and financially, to be backed during this shaky spell.
But a woeful domestic downturn post-Hogmanay for the second year on the bounce has highlighted the flaws of this Rangers side and that of Gerrard as a manager which those other things extenuated.
Gerrard has struggled to motivate his side and has cut a dejected figure post-match.
So much so after the Scottish Cup exit to Hearts, it sparked rumours he was about to hand in his resignation.
Such was his frustration, it felt like he had all but surrendered the title to Celtic months early too.
Then there’s the substitutions, the lack of pragmatism in tactics, the failure to learn from previous mistakes, the trusting of players who consistently don’t deliver; all of which have been tied neatly together by the fact Rangers face another barren season domestically.
Celtic are also marching towards another domestic treble, with the only side realistically equipped to stop them having failed to do so.
These are all marks on a growing list of frustrations amongst Rangers fans which are slowly creeping up level with the positives.
For many, there are understandable doubts over whether or not this management team, and some of the players, are the long-term answer here.
Gerrard & co have enough there to make another go of this next season but Rangers have got to halt Celtic somehow. If they think there’s pressure now, give it 12 months.
For a long time, Rangers fans have given Steven Gerrard a by because of who he is and what he has achieved at the club so far.
Over the last few weeks, the Ibrox manager has begun to look more-and-more like an ordinary person and an under-pressure coach.
This has been a humbling period for this side and for Steven Gerrard, whose name is no longer proceeding him at Ibrox.
