IT is all about the numbers for Rangers. Both on and off the park, the figures will have to add up at Ibrox.

The January transfer window will open just hours after the Hogmanay showdown with Celtic and boss Mark Warburton will then be able to commence the next phase of his rebuilding job.

Warburton added 11 players to his squad in the summer, but has spoken about only bringing in another one or two before Big Ben chimes at the end of next month.

Read more: Rangers boss Mark Warburton pleased Martyn Waghorn made the most of his chance to impress

The 54-year-old achieved an impressive strike rate during his first campaign at Ibrox as almost all of the players he brought to the club made an immediate impact in Light Blue.

Those that arrived this year will be given more time to prove themselves and – Joey Barton aside – none can be written off as a failure at present.

The Scouser was the highest profile arrival of the close season in Scottish football but failed to live up to his own billing.

His quality has not been missed in the middle of the park, and his personality has certainly not been in the dressing room.

But his departure, which cost Rangers a lump sum of around £250,000, has left a hole in Warburton’s squad that has yet to adequately filled. That is an area that will need to be addressed next month.

The same can be said for the attacking berth that has been vacated by Niko Kranjcar. His first season at Ibrox won’t go down as a memorable one, but that is due to bad luck and not poor judgment from Warburton.

Read more: Rangers boss Mark Warburton pleased Martyn Waghorn made the most of his chance to impress

After a sluggish start to the campaign, the Croatian began to show that class was indeed permanent as he gained fitness and sharpness. If he had continued on that path, Kranjcar would undoubtedly have become an integral part of the Gers side.

His progress was halted in October, though, as a training ground injury ended his campaign and he won’t take to the field before Rangers return to pre-season training next summer.

Finding a replacement for Kranjcar is set to be Warburton’s main priority once the window opens, with a loan deal the most likely scenario.

There are a handful of midfielders already on the Ibrox books but only a couple could, at this stage, be relied on to perform week in, week out in the race for second spot.

Andy Halliday and Jason Holt have once again become mainstays of the side but Warburton has opted to use right-back James Tavernier in a central role against Hearts and Hamilton Accies.

The only real alternatives at present are Kenny Miller, who has performed well in a variety of roles already this season, and Harry Forrester, who has endured a stop-start campaign.

The Ibrox crowd are still waiting patiently to see Jordan Rossiter in a Light Blue jersey once again, while Matt Crooks has made just three appearances following his move from Accrington.

His former Stanley team-mate, Josh Windass, has caught the eye when he has played but hasn’t been able to string a series of outings together as niggling strains have confined him to the Auchenhowie treatment room on several occasions.

The combination of injuries, loss of form and Barton’s training ground blow up have decimated what, on paper, looked to be the strongest area of Warburton’s side before a ball was kicked this term.

It is in the middle of park, both in terms of a defensive anchor and a creative force, that reinforcements will be required in the coming weeks.

A run of three Premiership wins on the spin have lifted the spirits of supporters and taken Rangers seven points clear of Aberdeen and Hearts in the standings. The Gers can now go into their next hat-trick of fixtures against Inverness, St Johnstone and Celtic with momentum and confidence.

The outcome in those games will be significant, but it will be the work that Warburton does in January that could have the biggest bearing on how his side fare this term.

Finishing best of the rest is crucial for Rangers and chairman Dave King has repeatedly stressed the importance of European qualification as the rebuilding work continues on and off the park at Ibrox.

Warburton has been backed by the Gers board in the transfer market so far and he will be given scope to do more deals next month. For his sake and Rangers’, there can only be hits after a couple of misses already this season.

He has spent £1.8million on Joe Garner, £500,000 on Michael O’Halloran and £250,000 respectively on Rossiter and Joe Dodoo, while the outlays in wages are also far beyond what ten of his fellow top flight managers could afford to spend.

Read more: Rangers boss Mark Warburton pleased Martyn Waghorn made the most of his chance to impress

The arrival of Frank McParland last season was much heralded by Warburton. Now he needs his Head of Recruitment to come up trumps.

It is in the English market that Rangers have shopped so far during the Warburton reign but there comes a point where the search has to be widened.

Most of his signings have been players he has worked with at Watford or Brentford or that have been well-known to McParland but the Gers boss confirmed this month that he is looking to Europe for the next batch of recruits. The net will be cast and the catch has to be a good one for Rangers.

The pressure on Warburton’s shoulders may not be as great now as it was in the aftermath of the defeat to Tynecastle but the spotlight is still shining on the Englishman.

He will, as he wishes, be judged at the end of the season. Like all managers, he will live and die by his results and his recruitment.