RANGERS have a blank canvas once again. The Ibrox hierarchy are back at the drawing board.

In some respects, they are going back to the future. Having tried and tried again, there simply cannot be any mistakes this time around.

When Ally McCoist’s side set out on the road to recovery in the Third Division five years ago, it was seen as the ideal opportunity to build for a brighter future.

Rangers had emerged from the dark days, but there could have been a silver lining.

Read more: Rangers 2-1 Morton: Chaotic weekend ends on a high note at Ibrox

This was their chance to invest in the next generation of players, to develop a style, to remodel a club.

There was a blueprint that could have been put in place but the short-term thinking of those in control ensured every small step forward would be followed by two back.

Come the summer of 2015, Rangers found themselves in a similar situation, although this time there were people at the top with a long-term approach. In Mark Warburton, the Ibrox board had someone they thought shared their vision.

He had a background in youth development, a reputation as an up-and-coming coach with a fresh style and philosophy on how the game should be played.

He had a year in the Championship to get used to life in Glasgow and to lay the foundations not just for this term but for several seasons to come.

It has become another case of what might have been for Rangers. Now they find themselves back around the table with a decision to make.

The next man at the helm will walk into a club that is in a far better place than it was when McCoist was in position. And progress has been made since the first day that Warburton and David Weir climbed the Marble Staircase.

But Rangers remain a club and a team in a state of transition, an institution trying to recapture former glories whilst attempting to adapt to the modern game.

Read more: Rangers 2-1 Morton: Chaotic weekend ends on a high note at Ibrox

They once again have a chance to build and develop. This time, it has to work.

McCoist picked up the pieces and took the first two major steps as the Third Division and League One titles were secured, while Warburton completed the job and ‘The Journey’ by winning the Championship.

But it is the Premiership crown that has always been, and always will be, Rangers’ aim and they are not considerably nearer achieving that goal than they were this time last year.

In his statement to supporters on Saturday afternoon, chairman Dave King predicted that the investment required at Ibrox will likely have to surpass the initial estimation of £30million if Rangers are to return to the top of Scottish football.

The funds will be crucial, but so too is the vision. There must be a plan for every pound, a reason behind every decision.

Warburton often spoke about building for the future, about taking the process step by step, but it became evident in recent months that he wouldn’t be the man to see out the project. The gap to Celtic became a gulf.

His successor now faces a sizeable task. It is a mission that is not impossible, but it is one that will only be achieved with a coherent plan of attack in the boardroom and the dugout.

The appointment of Warburton’s successor is the most important football decision that Dave King and his fellow directors have taken to date, and may ever deliberate over. Get it wrong, and their hopes of overhauling Celtic are gone for another few years.

But it is not just a new management team that should be installed at Ibrox in the coming months as Gers chiefs look at a change in the structure of the club.

The role of Director of Football, or a variation thereof, has become more common in the British game in recent years and it is one that is now being considered by King and Co.

Read more: Rangers 2-1 Morton: Chaotic weekend ends on a high note at Ibrox

At youth level, Rangers have taken positive steps in the last couple of years as Head of Academy Craig Mulholland looks to produce the next crop of Light Blues.

But the structure that was in place higher up during the Warburton reign failed to deliver and the appointment of Frank McParland as Head of Recruitment backfired on Rangers. As has been the case, when Warburton left McParland was always going to follow.

That is why the Director of Football route is one that is worth pursuing for the Gers. There would be a link between the board and the boss, but also someone who can plan for the long-term while the manager handles the day-to-day running of the team.

If a gaffer was to leave, either through being sacked or poached by another club, there would still be someone in place with peripheral vision across the club. Managers and players come and go, but Rangers need a reliable presence to provide stability.

John Park, the former Celtic Head of Football Development, is one name that is being considered. Paul Mitchell, who is currently working his notice period at Tottenham Hotspur, and Stuart Webber, the Head of Football Operations at Huddersfield Town, are also on Rangers’ shortlist as the board examine the possibility of a new structure in their football department.

When the standards are as high and the demands are as great as they are at Ibrox, there is a natural tendency to only look at the here and now, to only worry about the next game.

Read more: Rangers 2-1 Morton: Chaotic weekend ends on a high note at Ibrox

But if Rangers are going to establish themselves as the top club in the country again, and eventually aspire to return to the Champions League arena, there always has to be a consideration of the coming months and years rather than just the days and weeks. The snapshot cannot blur the bigger picture.

If real progress is to be made, then the Gers board have to get the right man in the dugout. The Warburton experiment ultimately failed and the next man at the helm has to be more about results than philosophies.

He should leave the blueprints and the grand plans to someone else. His only focus should be winning games and lifting silverware.

This is Rangers’ third attempt at getting this right. It has to be third time lucky.