Chris Jack: The departures could be just as important as the arrivals for Rangers this month

We all know the script. A new manager is appointed, he gets rid of the squad that he inherited, spends a few quid building his own that turns out not to be good enough and leaves his successor to pick up the pieces.

Mark Warburton did it with Ally McCoist’s players before Pedro Caixinha did it with the ones that Warburton left him. Now, Graeme Murty will have a go at removing the unwanted remnants of both of those unsuccessful eras.

The same job needs done, but the situation is different this time around and the balancing act is a tricky one for the Ibrox board and Director of Football Mark Allen.

Unlike when Warburton and Caixinha were appointed on long-term deals and spoke about their visions for the future, Murty is only guaranteed to be manager until the end of the campaign.

There is no doubt that the Ibrox squad needs reinforcements if Rangers are to finish second and give themselves a chance of lifting the Scottish Cup this term.

But any deals that commit Rangers beyond the summer will be done knowing there is a chance the man in the dugout next season might not fancy those that have been brought in.

The situation is somewhat unfair on Murty. Twice he has taken over squads that were underperforming and underachieving and got more out of them then the men he replaced in the dugout.

Nobody knows how successful he could be if he was given the time and the money to bring his own players in, to implement his strategy and to turn his blueprint into a masterplan. Indeed, we may never find out.

That doesn’t mean that Murty can’t play a part in the rebuilding job, however, and there will be as much focus on the exit door as the entry one at Ibrox.

Once again, Rangers need a clear out. This time, it is Murty that must undertake it.

Removing the likes of Dalcio and Aaron Nemane from the squad is no great loss, while Rangers surely won’t stand in the way of Fabio Cardoso or Bruno Alves should offers arrive.

Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera that had the two biggest price tags on their head in the summer and any deal that cuts short their time at Ibrox would be a good one for Rangers.

There are a handful of players on the books at Ibrox that haven’t contributed enough so far and don’t appear capable of contributing any further going forward.

After three transfer windows as a Premiership club and with the outlay in terms of wages and fees that has been made, that speaks volumes of just how poorly Rangers have recruited in recent times.

Another couple of arrivals to follow Sean Goss and Jamie Murphy are necessary to give supporters a bit of hope for the second half of the season.

But it is the business that Murty can do the other way that could prove to be most important in the long run for Rangers.

AND ANOTHER THING

The idea of fan ownership at Rangers is a fanciful one for a number of reasons, but supporter influence at Ibrox shouldn’t be an unrealistic prospect for the Light Blue legions.

A look at the online dialogue between Gers supporters highlights why they could never truly own and run their club. If there were three Bears on a desert island, there would be four RSCs.

Club 1872 have had their own issues over the last 18 months or so but that is the organisation that has the best chance of giving the greatest number of fans the largest say in the future of their club.

Members are to be consulted on a proposal that could, some way down the line, result in representation on the board of RIFC plc and a seat at the top table alongside chairman Dave King and Co.

Amongst some Gers fans and further afield, Club 1872 don’t seem to be viewed as the second largest shareholders at Ibrox. Instead, many see them as merely a supporters group.

If the organisation is to be a success, that must change and more must be achieved than what has been so far.

Any strength will only come through numbers. If Rangers fans want a voice, they are the ones that must make it heard.