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Christopher Jack at Fir Park
Now it is up to Duff & Phelps to do their bit. By the time Ally McCoist's side stroll out at Ibrox on Saturday to face St Mirren, there will either be light at the end of the tunnel or yet another dark cloud hanging over the stadium.
In the grand scheme of things, football is a sideshow for the club these days but it has provided relief for McCoist, his players and supporters, with all glad for 90 minutes of respite from conjecture, CVAs and consortia. Their latest moments of adulation arrived at Fir Park on Saturday, with victory over Motherwell all but securing second place in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League and salvaging some pride after a campaign best forgotten.
The vociferous away support had to be patient to celebrate their second victory in six days, with Lee McCulloch's scrambled winner arriving just seconds from the end of a competitive affair.
It was a win not given to the kind of energetic, free-flowing football which saw off Celtic the previous weekend, but a triumph of grit and determination. These are the qualities which have seen this group of players through so much in recent years.
Whether McCoist's squad will have the chance to return to their former glories next season remains to be seen. Duff & Phelps, the club's administrators, have set a Wednesday deadline for the protracted takeover process to move forward, with everyone involved with the club eager for progress to finally be made.
"We hope that something can be sorted and the club can keep going forward again," said Steven Whittaker, the Rangers defender. "As players, we just want to concentrate on football and hopefully the rest of it will sort itself out. We are aware of what is going on but we don't know the ins and outs of it. As football players, we need to make sure our performances on the pitch are good and let the other things take care of themselves."
Whittaker joined McCulloch on the scoresheet at Fir Park, with his ninth-minute strike – which swerved, dipped and deceived Darren Randolph, the Motherwell goalkeeper – cancelling out Henrik Ojamma's opener. The pair have been stalwarts of the Rangers teams that have secured the last three league titles and once again rose to the occasion when their manager needed them most.
McCoist had another of his most dependable players to thank for Saturday's victory, too. Motherwell were left to rue their profligacy in front of goal as a trio of decent scoring chances went uncoverted, with Allan McGregor proving Rangers' saviour once more. A smart save with his feet denied Nicky Law midway through the first half while a Keith Lasley drive from the edge of the area was turned over acrobatically just after the break. When McGregor completed his hat trick of fine stops, denying Michael Higdon with just five minutes remaining, the stage was set for McCulloch to win it.
McGregor, like Whittaker, the talismanic Steven Naismith and captain Steven Davis, will surely once again attract admiring glances during the summer as clubs attempt to make the most of Rangers' perilous financial state and pick up a bargain. McCoist denied that West Bromwich Albion had made a £2m bid for Naismith, and Whittaker hopes there is no spate of departures. "We don't want that as a squad and as a team," he said. "This year, it is the first time in four years we are not going to win anything. We will be determined to put that right next year."
Rangers will feel victory at Fir Park was deserved for their endeavour as much as their skill, but it could have been far more straightforward. Having seen off a bright Motherwell start, the Ibrox side should have been given the chance to double their tally for the afternoon from the spot when Randolph felled Sone Aluko in the box. Referee Iain Brines instead booked the Rangers striker for diving, with Aluko's disbelief saying much about the bizarre call.
"I don't think you needed to [have a good view of it] to be honest," Whittaker said. "I heard the collision with the shin pads and the manager said he had heard it on the bench. I thought it was clear but the referee thought otherwise. I didn't see his [Brines'] action. Once I looked up, I just saw he was going towards Sone to book him. We just have to stick by the decision."
Some Motherwell fans may feel aggrieved, too, that their side have been unable to pose a sustained challenge for second place but at least their disappointment can be assuaged by a spell in Europe next season.
Champions League football remains firmly in the sights of the Lanarkshire club – a fact endorsed by a humorous banner displayed by their fans before kick off – with a third-placed finish enough to seal a place in a third-round qualifier.
It is a prize on which Dundee United and St Johnstone still have their eyes – both clubs are now just five points behind Motherwell – but, with just six fixtures remaining, Stuart McCall's side remain in the driving seat.
"We have never talked about second," said the Motherwell manager. "Our aim is to finish third. If we can maintain that level of performance in the six games we have got left then I am confident it will get us enough points to get third."
6' 1-0 Chris Humphrey canters towards the byeline and cuts back a low cross towards Henrik Ojamaa, with the Estonian clipping the ball past Allan McGregor.
9' 1-1 Steven Whittaker seizes possession in midfield and the Rangers defender duly lashes a long-range drive into the net.
89' 1-2 A throw-in from Ross Perry is misjudged by the Motherwell defence and Lee McCulloch prods in.
