With an air of bellowing orange smoke, the accompanying banner unfurled across the Rangers end at Hampden read, "The future's bright, the future's..." 

It was deployed by the fans to welcome the incoming (and returning) Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst, sat in the comfy seats at Hampden with a watching brief. It was prior to his official unveiling as Rangers manager, on a November day that was definitely dull in more ways than one as Hibs took advantage of the post-Steven Gerrard malaise to deservedly win 3-1 in the League Cup semi-final. 

Almost one year on, is the future on Edmiston Drive still as oranje as Amsterdam on King's Day or is the vista clouding over with the threat of an impending downpour on G51? 

Let's take stock of the current situation at Ibrox and the mixed perception of GvB's reign so far.

The record sheet shows a Scottish Cup victory as well as the intoxicating run to the very edge of glory on the European stage. A Europa League title narrowly passed Rangers by, and with it, a chance for the Dutchman to secure what would arguably have been the club's greatest ever moment. 

Alas it was not to be and as is customary at Ibrox there's now a sense 'that was five months ago but what have you achieved yesterday?' The blemish on last season was the drop-off in league form, with a four point lead at the top of table at the time of Gio’s appointment squandered and the initiative firmly in Celtic's grasp following the 3-0 debacle at Parkhead in February. 

After the re-arranged winter break last season, doubt and disappointment festered within the Rangers support as Gio presided over dropped points on the road at Aberdeen, Ross County, Celtic and Dundee United. In the next game after Tannadice, a dismal draw at Ibrox against Motherwell all but ended the chances of retaining the title. 

That was back in February but eight months later, very little has changed on the pitch in terms of style, consistency and ultimately, progress.  

On Sunday against Motherwell, there was an expectation and a demand that Rangers would respond to the Liverpool shambles with a statement of intent or at the very least, conviction. That did not materialise in what was a largely forgettable game except for the fine solo contribution of Malik Tillman to open the scoring. A second was added to put the game to bed, or so we thought. No, Motherwell pulled one back, part ingenuity, part Allan McGregor error and all of sudden Rangers were sloppy, vulnerable and on the ropes. 

Ultimately, the win was secured but it wasn’t convincing or comfortable, raising the question just how much longer can the team continue in this vein before the frailties come to the fore.

READ MORE: Giovanni van Bronckhorst must back-up 'we want to attack’ statement

Adding to the domestic issues, this season’s European campaign has been as demoralising as it has been bittersweet. From the ominous opener against Union Saint-Gilloise in Leuven to the euphoria of Champions League qualification in Eindhoven and crashing back down to earth with the realities of contemporary elite-level club football, it has spooked the club. 

Financial matters were abruptly brought into focus when the supposed milk and honey of Champions League revenue did not equate to an injection of quality for the playing squad. ‘Happy with the squad’ was the mantra from GvB but after four arduous outings so far in Group A against Ajax, Napoli and Liverpool (twice), the group table doesn’t lie. Zero points, one goal scored and a whopping 16 goals conceded. 

The obvious caveat is that no one realistically expected Rangers to challenge for last 16 participation, but the overall experience has been chastening. Especially that sinking low of the 1-7 against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and what it means for van Bronckhorst's Rangers. 

The debacle of last Wednesday adds to the goal loss cluster problem when the team seems to self-destruct, the hidings in Europe can be added to capitulations against Celtic which are all accumulating in the eyes of the supporters toward the manager. 

What is the direction under his leadership, what players have improved, where is the basis for confidence of a sustained title tilt and what happens next? Seeing is believing and the achievements in cup football will only stretch so far in the goldfish bowl of domestic supremacy in Glasgow. 

In the Dutchman’s favour and as those calling for patience have pointed out, he probably is owed some benefit of the doubt. A raft of injured players, a modest budget for new ones and a serious question mark against how the money has been spent can be chalked up alongside his part in the relative success of getting to Seville and ending the domestic cup drought. 

At present, Rangers are two points behind Celtic at the Premiership summit. It appears hard to fathom that the board would jettison the manager given that fact. Add that to being on the brink of another domestic semi-final and just about being in with a chance of scraping Europa League football into the New Year and you can see the thought process.

That can and will hold for now but the end game would commence with a repeat of squandered points in the league and another failed title tilt. Giovanni van Bronckhorst doesn’t have the credit in the bank or the gravitas to survive such a perilous situation. 

With five games until the World Cup break, maximum points are essential. A renewed focus, returning players and progress on the pitch has to follow if that Oranje evolution is to be realised.

This piece is an extract from today’s Rangers Insider newsletter, which is emailed out between 4 and 6pm every weekday with a round-up of the day's top stories and exclusive analysis from the Rangers Review team.

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