A season full of intrigue for Rangers

They were lambasted, including by their own fans, after losing games to the likes of Annan, Peterhead and Stirling Albion in the 2012/13 campaign.

And draws against part-time clubs, including Elgin City, Montrose and Berwick Rangers, were also greeted with snorts of derision from far and wide.

Ally McCoist's side have, over the course of a long, hard season, had their odd slip-ups and have been held at Ibrox by both Stranraer and Stenhousemuir.

However, the Glasgow club's performances, consistency and results in the last eight months have been a stark improvement on what went before. Indeed, the statistics make for impressive reading.

Going undefeated in the league is, no matter what the circumstances are, an impressive achievement. Yes, having a squad of experienced, well-paid, full-time professionals has given them a distinct advantage over their opponents in SPFL League One.

Dunfermline, who have had serious financial difficulties of their own to contend with, are the only other team that is not part-time in the third tier. But negotiating tricky away ties on difficult playing surfaces in poor weather conditions in front of hostile crowds against rival teams giving their all is still no mean feat.

Light Blues skipper Lee ­McCulloch and his team-mates should be proud of a run which few other clubs in the history of Scottish football have achieved.

Yet that is not to say this season has been straightforward for Rangers.

In truth, it has been anything but. Once again, events on the field have been overshadowed by what has been happening off it.

And there is no end in sight to the unrest. The first half of the season was played out amid a battle for control of the Ibrox club between the board and four businessman and supporters who became known as "The Requisitioners".

The form of McCoist's side throughout the turmoil was excellent. Opponents were dispatched comfortably both at home and away in all competitions.

But the often acrimonious power struggle resulted in chief executive Craig Mather, as well as directors Ian Hart and Phil Cartmell, standing down. Ultimately, Scott Murdoch, Malcolm Murray, Paul Murray and Alex Wilson failed in their attempt to be voted on to the board at the AGM in December.

The backing of the majority of the institutional investors ensured that Norman Crighton, James Easdale, Brian Stockbridge and new chief executive Graham Wallace remained in place.

But that was not, unsurprisingly, an end to the issues which have blighted the progress of the Govan club for several years now. More were soon to follow.

The acquisition on free transfers of players such as Cammy Bell, Jon Daly, Nicky Clark, Nicky Law, Bilel Mohsni, Arnold Peralta, Steve Simonsen and Stevie Smith had resulted in huge strides forward being made on the park.

The emphatic wins over Airdrie, East Fife, Arbroath and Stenhousemuir - who were thrashed 8-0 at Ibrox in September - early in the season showed progress had been made.

But it emerged earlier this year that the club was operating at a significant loss due, in part, to the wages the new recruits were being paid. It was no great surprise when it was announced that Stockbridge, the much maligned financial director, also left his post.

Wallace, the former Manchester City financial director and chief operating officer, embarked on a 120-day ­restructuring project after succeeding Mather.

A hugely controversial £1.5million loan had to be agreed with shareholders Sandy Easdale and Laxey Partners to bring in much needed "working capital".

It is inevitable that cutbacks, including on the playing side, will need to be made when Wallace completes his review of company business by the middle of April.

So the success that McCoist's side has enjoyed this season is tinged with a sense of foreboding about what lies ahead next season and beyond.

Rangers have, despite dominating League One and still being involved in the Ramsdens Cup and the Scottish Cup, been criticised in recent weeks for their standard of play.

It has underlined that their supporters expect them not just to win but to win well - especially at the level they currently find themselves.

But if the squad is weakened this summer before they step up to the Championship, where their opponents will be full-time, how will they fare?

Having been involved at Ibrox for over 30 years now, as a player, a coach and now manager, McCoist understands the standards which are demanded. With fans now threatening to withhold season ticket money until their demands are met by the club hierarchy, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see how he can meet them and realise his ambitions.

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