Rangers were presented with the Third Division trophy at Ibrox yesterday after their final game against Berwick Rangers.

Stage one of the journey back to the top is complete, but that inevitability hasn't been arrived at with any great conviction.

When combined with recent corporate upheaval, it seems Rangers fans should be prepared for another summer of uncertainty. The crisis is not as acute as it was last year, but there is a sense that time and energy is being wasted rather than channelled into initiatives that will see the club and fans benefit from this period of turmoil.

Ally McCoist spoke recently of transfer budgets and the need to strengthen a limited squad. No Rangers supporter is under any illusions about the relative calibre of the current squad. But there are concerns the most hasn't been made of the resources already at McCoist's disposal.

Some will no doubt welcome spending as a sign of things returning to normal, but others will hope it doesn't herald a relapse to the recklessness that made the club so vulnerable in the first place. On the pitch this season, youngsters Robbie Crawford, Fraser Aird and Barrie McKay have impressed intermittently, but their first-team appearances have been limited. Lewis MacLeod, recently voted the club's Young Player of the Year, saw his season curtailed by a knee injury in January. Winning an award for effectively half a season of game time testifies to the impression he made.

The SPL-calibre players brought in before the transfer embargo, with the possible exception of David Templeton, have under-performed. On too many occasions they have delivered little.

Steady progress off the park feels like it has been halted, with Craig Whyte seemingly a moth to the Rangers flame. His re-emergence is troubling, but reports of police raids as part of the investigation into his takeover in 2011 and a recent High Court ruling in favour of Ticketus underline the desperate nature of his position.

The only ace he has left to play is his own toxicity and this is why he has played the media card to voice new allegations. The mere claim of association to Whyte was, however, enough to severely weaken the position of former chief executive Charles Green and former commercial director Imran Ahmad.

The exact nature of this relationship and the validity of Whyte's asset claims should be revealed once Deloitte and law firm Pinsent Masons complete their investigation. Clarity is needed for the fans' peace of mind, but also for potential investors. Supporters hope Whyte can be swatted away and left to to take sole responsibility for his own disastrous actions.

Failure to deal decisively with the Whyte allegations was fatal for Green in conjunction with a series of unacceptable media interventions. As is usually the case in these scenarios, the circumstances of the departure complicate an objective assessment of his tenure as a whole.

Generally speaking, Green and Rangers enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship. He was exactly the sort of personality to galvanise the club and supporters at a difficult time. His natural populism lent itself to engagement with supporters and this is something future officials should look to continue. Furthermore, raising over £22 million through an initial public offering of shares in December was an outstanding achievement given the economic climate and for this alone he should depart with a vote of thanks. Craig Mather, his replacement as CEO on an interim basis, needs to establish a relationship with McCoist and the support. His main objectives will include creating a renewed sense of stability and managing any transition to a new regime in an orderly fashion.

A club with Rangers' ambition has to have a degree of ruthlessness if it is to come close of fulfilment in Scottish football. Rangers fans owe absolute loyalty to the club and the club alone. After a reasonable period to get their bearings, individuals should be judged on the service they render to the club – merit needs to triumph over the ownership of a club tie.

If the past 18 months have demonstrated anything, it is that deference and the so-called "dignified silence" approach have failed Rangers and the fans miserably on a whole range of issues. This doesn't mean personality clashes should be pursued with the help of the media, but the truth now has to take precedence and fans shouldn't be scared of negative headlines if they are revealing actions incompatible with the long-term health of the club.

Frustration is widespread at the end of Rangers' first season outside the top flight, but this is a useful emotion underpinning a strong desire to see an improvement in all aspects of the club's operations.