GIOVANNI van Bronckhorst took his seat as the 17th manager of Rangers yesterday, unveiled in the revered Ibrox blue room to waiting media.

Topics were wide-ranging and answered diligently alongside Sporting Director Ross Wilson and Managing Director Stewart Wilson. Transfers, tactics and pressure were all addressed. 

A day on from Sunday’s humbling in the League Cup, Van Bronckhorst arrives at an opportune, if delicate, time. The players are in unquestioned need of new direction on the park – as a leader, there is an immediate need for stewardship.

There’s only so much to be learned from events such as these. Naturally, a breakdown of Van Bronckhorst's philosophy was surface level and players addressed more broadly than individually - but certain themes carried through regularly. Yesterday’s defeat to Hibs very much felt like the end of a cycle for a side that has regressed from their peak under Steven Gerrard. Today was the start of a new dawn at Ibrox.

"I was confident that I would take the job because it's a club I want to lead," said the incoming manager. "I want to bring success to the club.”

Having watched on at Hampden just 24 hours ago, there was an admittance that he wanted to make some immediate changes. So too was recognition that without a pre-season and joining before a flux of tricky fixtures, the implementation of different ideas will be a gradual process. In just three days Sparta Prague visit Glasgow – how then will freshness be introduced in such a brief window of time?

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"I was not happy with the result yesterday and I can see some things I want to change or that we have to be better at," he said.

“I’m sure we can help [before] Thursday by getting some information and details across.” 

Supporters will also have enjoyed his elaboration on tactical set-ups.

“You can have many systems in a game depending on which opponents you are playing, if they are pressing high, defending deep, so I want to make sure my players know the different ways of playing each system."

While variation in attack grew in time with the previous regime, a failure to move away from the 4-3-3 cornerstone without the ball has been a consistent undoing in the past six months. Don’t understate the value that differentiation in the team's set-up will have. Hibs' game plan at Hampden was fine-tuned to Rangers' weaknesses, predictable approach and reluctance to change - a trend that has increased amongst opposition teams since the summer.

Referenced also by Wilson was Van Bronckhorst’s work permit, which was only completed early Monday. Answering any noise that he should have been in the Hampden dugout. 

More cup failure vindicated accusations that some members of this squad have lost their edge from last year. Connor Goldson’s interview with Premier Sports said as much and fitted a trend. The claims of waning hunger has been staunchly denied by many, but Martin Boyle’s hat-trick was a step too far. The evidence too strong to deny.

When Gerrard arrived at Aston Villa he claimed to have completed his remit upon returning to England. Whether a media-trained answer or not, his decision to leave clearly shows the title win was not the beginning but culmination of his time in Scotland.

Perhaps that was a belief that filtered through the squad to an extent – a 55th title has certainly seen some sort of hangover. Van Bronckhorst’s arrival offers the prospect of not just fresh processes and approaches, but new goals. The last dance of last year is over. 

“For me, as a coach and player, the hunger has to come from within yourself. It starts with that,” Van Bronckhorst added.

“That would make it much easier for me as a coach. But being involved in top football all my life, I know what needs to be done to be successful.

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“So that message I got across as a coach when I started, and if some player thinks otherwise then they will have a tough manager in me.”

Yesterday was a line in the sand. More silverware should have arrived since 2018 but it has not. It's time to look to the future. 

Trips to Tynecastle, Easter Road, Pittodrie and Celtic Park are all to come by the start of January. There is the prospect of a spectacular opening month in which individuals flourish with fresh instructions and the supremacy of the summer is recovered. 

Time will be the true barometer but on the day he was unveiled, Giovanni van Bronckhorst felt very much the leader this squad needed. New approaches will bring benefit, but new vision is the real required box he ticks.