BUSINESS as usual.

It was the phrase used to describe the situation at Rangers yesterday and one which immediately set alarm bells ringing.

There has been nothing normal about the way the under-fire board have gone about their duties in recent years and the continuation of that trend again leaves more questions being asked than answered.

Ally McCoist spent less than an hour with Derek Llambias and Sandy Easdale, and the result is that nothing will change. Here, SportTimes looks at what the future holds after another day of drama at Ibrox.

What was the outcome of the meeting?

McCoist made his way to Ibrox for what could have been his final time as manager, but he left still in charge of the team he took for training yesterday morning.

He remains Rangers boss and will be in the dugout when his side face Livingston at Ibrox on Saturday.

There were three options available to Easdale and Llambias, and it is a surprise that no conclusion or exit strategy was reached.

McCoist could have been placed on gardening leave for the remainder of his 12-month notice period, but that would have meant the board paying him as well as the new first-team boss, which they cannot afford to do.

Alternatively, he could have been offered a compensation package, likely to be worth several hundred thousand pounds, and left the club now. Again, they cannot afford to.

Instead, the status quo remains. McCoist is still the boss and the board still have whatever little money available to them to keep the lights on.

Where does this leave McCoist and Rangers?

"Ally's here and we're looking forward to Saturday to the game," was Easdale's response when questioned on his way out of Ibrox, just hours after he was heckled by one fed-up female fan on the steps of the stadium.

The chairman of Rangers' football board is one of few who will be looking forward to the Championship fixture.

The regime had to admit that they beefed up the attendance figure for the recent visit of Cowdenbeath and they may have to massage the numbers again this weekend, with another extremely low crowd expected at Ibrox.

Defeat would surely kill off any dreams Rangers have of lifting the title, and would again see fans focus their frustrations on McCoist, the man they know has had enough of life at the club.

It is hard to see how this solution benefits any party. It is a stand-off to see who blinks first.

McCoist now has to motivate a team of players who know his time at the helm is coming to an end, and fans are once again left uncertain and split.

The chances of McCoist still being in situ next December are slim. The most obvious outcome is for a deal to be struck, perhaps in January if the planned share issue is a success and Rangers' finances are given another short-term fix.

It is only once the marriage has come to an end will McCoist and Rangers be able to go their separate ways and move on.

Should he stay or should he go?

Rangers, as a club, will be a poorer place without McCoist and, when looking at the bigger picture, many fans would like him to remain.

But, having handed in his notice, it would surely be better for him to leave now than say a long goodbye.

With no turnaround in on-field fortunes likely and the behind-the-scenes chaos continuing, McCoist should leave sooner rather than later and could even do so next week.

How will the fans react?

Like when the news of his decision to leave broke last week, opinion will be mixed.

Few supporters still rate McCoist the manager, but many would sleep easier with him as the lone Ranger inside the club.

There will be confusion over what happens next but, whenever and however he goes, McCoist will do so with thanks and admiration from the terraces and his legendary status still intact.

Does this all come down to money?

As with most matters at Rangers these days, yes. The board played their PR hand by revealing that McCoist's wages will go back up to £750,000 during his notice period, but that won't diminish the feeling that the 52-year-old should get what he is entitled to here.

Having seen a series of men in suits leave with their wallets bulging in recent years, there is no reason why McCoist shouldn't receive a cheque if the board want to dispense with his services now rather than later.

McCoist won't do anything to jeopardise Rangers' future, but he shouldn't let the board off the hook and get out of paying their dues.

If he does leave in the near future, who will replace him as manager?

There will be plenty of candidates, but the position does not hold the same allure as it once did.

A number of managers will be scared off by Rangers' cash problems, Championship status and prospect of working for a board that fans have lost all trust and respect for.

Billy Davies, Terry Butcher and even Rino Gattuso have been touted so far, but few supporters would back the current hierarchy to make the right call.

Kenny McDowall and Ian Durrant would likely follow McCoist out of the club, so the board would have to have a plan before they signed off his exit.

How will this situation affect the players and Rangers' bid for the title?

It rarely works out for managers who have signalled their intention to leave, but continue in position.

It didn't for Walter Smith during his first reign, nor Gordon Strachan at Southampton, or Peter Houston at Dundee United.

The players may well rally round McCoist in public, but the situation off the park will surely take its toll and one more defeat in the coming weeks would all but hand Hearts the title.

Rangers must gain promotion this season whether McCoist is in the dugout or not, so the reaction from the squad has to be a positive one, starting this weekend.

What will happen at the AGM on Monday?

If the board hope that having McCoist on stage with them will act as a shield and deflect the heat away from them, they are surely mistaken.

Tensions between the directors and supporters are even higher than they were this time last year, and the under-fire executives can expect a stormy reception and series of probing questions.

Fans may be less than impressed with the product on the park, but that is well down the list of problems that need addressed ... and the board won't be able to hide behind McCoist.