In another world, Michael Beale writes the rest of the season off and uses the remaining fixtures to mould a formidable, free-flowing team for next term. If that means losing a few games along the way, so be it.

In the real world, the Rangers manager doesn’t have that luxury. Instead, he’ll have to conjure up some magic on Sunday to keep the season alive. Losing to Celtic - again - will hand their rivals the Treble and bring this campaign to a premature and sorry end. That will leave the Light Blue legions hurting badly and ready to apportion blame.

Calling football fans fickle is one of the great understatements. If their heroes play well and knock in a few goals, they are world-beaters and legends. A week later, the team struggle and the same players are useless and must be axed. Along with the manager. And the board.

Fickle? Let’s be honest, fans’ expectations are bonkers. But there is justifiable concern over how this season has panned out.

A year ago Rangers supporters were loving life. Two finals loomed - in the Scottish Cup and the Europa League. The disappointment of losing in Seville against Eintracht Frankfurt after a penalty shoot-out was softened by beating Hearts a few days later at Hampden to end the campaign with silverware. It meant fans could enjoy the summer, confident next season would see more progress.

Alas, it didn’t turn out that way. After a disastrous Champions League group stage and falling nine points behind Celtic, it was a dire start to the campaign and manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst lost his job in November.

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That wasn’t enough for some Bears. Protests began from a vociferous section of the fanbase calling for more heads to go. They got their wish. Chairman Douglas Park stood down, replaced by John Bennett. Director of football Ross Wilson was next to leave followed by managing director Stewart Robertson announcing, just a few days before this massive Old Firm encounter, that he would depart in the summer.

Astonishingly, the club has lost its four most influential figures in a matter of months. Even in the volatile and fast-changing world of football that is a rarity.

Clearly, Bennett is no shrinking violet and has launched a revolution at Ibrox in his quest to succeed. You can only assume he will now turn his ruthless fire on the players. Expect him to be merciless when it comes to handing out new contracts - especially after the 2-0 defeat by Aberdeen at the weekend.

The Pittodrie contest was similar to so many games since Beale arrived. You could sense the frustration he must have been feeling. Even the best coach on the planet is powerless when players miss decent chances and defenders make unforced errors. That’s not a failure of tactical systems. It’s the result of having to work with players who show mental frailty and who lack sufficient skills to wear the jersey.

The unpalatable truth is that Rangers simply don’t have enough stars of the right calibre. Upgrades are needed. Urgently.

Beale, of course, knows this. In the meantime, he has the tricky task of nursing those players of limited capacity that he inherited. It's why he will have been working overtime this week to get the best from his squad.

Even in uncertain times, he must find a way to instil belief in them that they can win. The fans demand it. And it is possible, even allowing for the deficiencies.

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The good news is that Celtic have been showing signs of late that they too are fragile. The last Old Firm game was fairly even - the crucial difference being they buried their chances while Rangers missed theirs.

If Beale can restore confidence within his squad and get them believing again, he could enjoy another final in June. Football at this level is as much a mind game as it is of silky skills. Top players need the mental strength to match their talent. Both assets are needed.

Rangers have potential match-winners in Malik Tillman, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos. All have been poor in Old Firm games this term and their futures are on the line. Kent and Morelos will probably be moving on but there’s no better stage for them to parade their talents to other clubs than in a high-profile encounter that will be shown globally. 

Both have failed to shine this season but this is a perfect platform for the pair to defy their critics before they go. A top display could boost their future contracts elsewhere. They have every reason to give their best. Kent has been injured but must be worth playing even if it’s just for an hour.

Tillman’s form has dipped in the last month and he’s yet to deliver against Celtic. Doubts are creeping in that he might not be worth the £5m plus it will cost to keep him in Glasgow.

But he has almost everything it takes for a wonderful career. There’s a monster of a player within this 20-year-old if Beale can find it. He has a deceptively languid style but can’t get caught slacking again in a feral fixture that thunders for 90 minutes. He has to show what he’s got in big games and not let them pass him by.

If Beale can work his magic on these three and get their mojo back, the Rangers fans could be leaving Hampden in party mode. 

Recent signings Todd Cantwell and Nicolas Raskin have also made their Old Firm debuts so should be stronger for that. And Connor Goldson returning from injury would be a big bonus.

The stakes couldn’t be higher for every player at Ibrox. They need to show the fans and chairman Bennett they have the mindset to wear the famous jersey on a huge stage.

If they do, they’ll get the rewards. If not…