RANGERS face yet another crucial week on and off the pitch as financial problems demand to be addressed immediately and a match looms that could end the SPFL Championship title race for the Ibrox side.

 

The Three Bears consortium is still awaiting a response over their financial offer with the matter of board representation proving difficult to resolve.

However, the incumbent board, led by chairman David Somers, knows that the club needs money soon and the consortium of George Letham, Douglas Park and George Taylor, is viewed as the best option, particularly if Mike Ashley, the owner of Newcastle United declines to extend his influence at the club.

This could leave Dave King, the South African-based businessman, on the sidelines but he has the power to push for an extraordinary general meeting of the club.

Meanwhile, Robert Sarver, the US businessman, remains in play but his £20m bid is seen as a tactical move, given he knows it has to gain 75% shareholder approval to succeed. He may have to share power rather than wield it completely and this has not been the banker's way of working at Phoenix Suns, his basketball franchise

With funds running low, the jostling for power will intensify this week. Just one week ago, insiders described the cash situation at the club as approaching crisis levels. A subsequent £500, 000 loan from Sandy Easdale was only a short-term solution.

Ashley will have to decide just how much power he wants at the club and how much he wants to push for it as he already faces charges over ''undue influence'' from the Scottish Football Association.

The Easdale brothers, who retain the backing of Ashley, must decide who best can join them on the board with the resources to ensure Rangers reach the oasis of season ticket renewal.

The Three Bears seem to fit the bill and their demands for boardroom representation are being considered. An answer will be given this week as Rangers also face a match that could condemn them to contesting for a play-off spot in the Championship.

Hearts, 13 points clear at the top and with a vastly superior goal difference, travel to Glasgow on Friday night for a match described as a ''must-win'' by David Templeton, the Rangers winger who played for the Edinburgh club for five years before moving to Ibrox in 2012.

''Friday is a massive game and if we can get a win then that will give us a lot of confidence to hopefully go on an unbeaten run,'' he said after Rangers defeated Alloa 1-0 .

He did not shirk from the significance of playing Hearts, who won 5-1 against Dumbarton to remain unbeaten in the Championship.

''This game is one we have to win. There's no other way to see it,'' he said. They are a good bit ahead of us and we have to win to try and claw it back and hope other teams can pick up points against them.''

Templeton, who revealed that Robbie Neilson, the Hearts head coach, has been his most influential mentor when they played together at Tynecastle, said he had been surprised by the resilience of the Edinburgh side.

''I thought coming up to the difficult festive period they might have dropped points,'' he said. ''They've done really well and are winning games convincingly so we need to take three points off them on Friday.''