MORE than a year on, Ally McCoist's words still ring true for Rangers.

"We have to trust each other," he said last October. "By that, I don't mean, 'no, I don't trust him'.

"The experience of the last year has not been good. I went on record as saying that it didn't matter who came into our club, in terms of who bought it over and became chief executive, they would have to earn the trust of everybody. Not just me - the supporters, the staff, everybody."

On that occasion, he was speaking about his, and everyone associated with the club's, relationship with Charles Green, the then chief executive at Ibrox, but his message remains relevant in the wake of the latest developments in a drawn-out Rangers saga.

Green, of course, ultimately left the building and now McCoist must strike up another bond from scratch with the latest man to fill the role of Rangers chief executive, former Manchester City CEO Graham Wallace.

It could prove to be a fleeting romance, with Wallace, the man the under-fire board have chosen at the culmination of their search for Craig Mather's replacement, set to be up for re-election at what is likely to be a stormy Annual General Meeting next month.

It is quite conceivable that, like recently-appointed acting chairman David Somers and non-executive director Norman Crighton, Wallace could barely have got his feet under his new desk before he is clearing his belongings from its surface.

The latest man to be fitted for a navy blazer and club tie is determined to remain in situ for the long haul, however.

"For more than 140 years, this club has been recognised throughout world football and whilst the last few years have been distressing, there is no reason why Rangers cannot be even stronger than we once were before these challenges presented themselves," Wallace said.

"That strength will be built upon strong leadership of the club and the continuing support of the fans. I watched from afar as the Rangers support came to the club's aid during the times of turmoil and now it is the turn of the board and management to provide the stability and governance to drive Rangers' recovery forward and ensure further football success. I am genuinely delighted to join this wonderful club as we look to build a successful future."

The appointment of Wallace yesterday morning was met with disdain by many Gers fans; not because the 52-year-old arrives at the club with little experience or a shoddy track record in business or in football, but because he is automatically seen as having aligned himself with the current Ibrox hierarchy.

Few could question his worthiness for the position but the timing doesn't sit right with many.

Dumfries-born, his track record is impressive and he can count Ernst and Young, IMG Media and MTV amongst his former employers. Yet, while his background will gain respect, the trust of fans will take longer to earn.

Supporters have been vocal in their condemnation of the board in recent months, with the departures of Mather, Bryan Smart and Ian Hart seen as steps in the right direction but Brian Stockbridge, the financial director, and Greenock businessmen James and Sandy Easdale have continued to cling to power.

Somers was quick to praise the man he and his board have chosen yesterday, citing Wallace's "first-class business and financial experience and extensive knowledge of football operations at the highest levels of the game" but it remains to be seen if the current incumbents have done enough to convince the institutional investors they have the right motives and intentions.

Any new arrival at boardroom level is rightly treated with caution by fans but with the recent hat-trick of appointments coming so close to the AGM on December 19, the rank and file are even more on edge.

The men many do trust, Paul Murray, Jim McColl, Malcolm Murray and Dave King, remain outsiders, for now at least, yet those that currently occupy seats at the Ibrox top table will take comfort from their new strength in numbers as D-Day approaches.

The trade of more than three million shares in Rangers International Football Club plc yesterday, at a cost of £1.3million, heightened anxiety levels further, posing more questions for a fan-base that have been desperately seeking answers for several years.

Clarity could arrive next month if the two Murrays and businessmen Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson are successful in their bids to join the board but, having seen their rivals bolster their ranks, confidence amongst their backers may have dwindled.

Time has not brought an end to Rangers' problems but the countdown continues.