Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, Rangers plumbed new depths by slumping to the worst result in our proud club's history.
For the second successive weekend we will be lining up against the SPL's bottom club but that can hardly fill us with confidence. Having found Dundee United too hot to handle, then been humbled by St.Johnstone, the likelihood of Dunfermline being on their way down to the First Division only adds to the pressure on Rangers. How we react to it will determine whether or not there will be any relief to our embarrassment.
It is totally unacceptable that we are on edge for a game against a tuppence-ha'penny outfit like Dunfermline. Wasn't this going to be the season where, after years of downsizing, we would turn things around and begin to punch our weight again? After all, with one of the top young coaches in the game having been lured to Ibrox and several fresh faces in the squad, the new Gers were sure to brush all-comers aside. Sadly, somebody somewhere didn't read the script.
So instead of sitting proudly on top of the heap and lording it over our rivals, we are in freefall and, where we should be on cloud nine, we are now talking about damage limitation. Inevitably there are serious questions being asked of Paul Le Guen, although those who rush to call for Le Gaffer's head to roll do not appear to have given too much thought to where we go from here.
Would there be any real benefit from sacking PLG and starting all over again? A quick look at the possible alternatives has convinced me that, grim though things are at this stage in the game, we just have to dour it out. He has not been solely responsible for getting us into this mess but I'm prepared to give him his place and back him to get us out of it.
The Hack Pack have been trying to stir up a campaign in favour of Ally McCoist taking over, with nine-in-a-row colleagues Richard Gough and Ian Durrant by his side. The hotline to Walter Smith would be open at all times and, although stuck with the same squad of players until the transfer window re-opens in January, they would no doubt inject some true blue grit into the team. But would it work long-term?
I'm afraid Super Ally went down in my estimation when he appeared on the box on Thursday and came out with all the same old pro-Murray lines. The Minted One is yesterday's man, having already made it clear he wants out, and when he does find a buyer who suits him, the new man will undoubtedly want to have his own men in place. Those with too tight a bond with Murray will have to follow him through the exit door and our club would be in turmoil again.
Another name mentioned in despatches has been Graeme Souness. Currently out of work after bombing at yet another Premiership club, he would gladly answer any call from 'my good friend David' and I've no doubt he would make Rangers move in the right direction again. But he, just like Coisty, is another whose association with Murray would trouble the new owner and too would soon be on his way, always assuming he didn't jump ship when the next Premiership job became available. Remember 1991? You bet I do!
As I understand it, Billy Davies was the original Plan B if the move for PLG fell through but I'm afraid I just can't picture him in charge of Rangers. He is too much like Craig Brown for my liking and, having worked under the balloon from Troon at Preston before taking over in his own right, that will always be a big drawback. Lets see what he does at Derby County and, maybe five or six years down the road, he might have built up a better track record to push himself into contention.
So there you have it, the candidates to succeed Paul Le Guen. Nope, none of them fill me with any confidence. If Murray decides to axe Le Guen - for now it is his decision and his alone - a change may yield some short-term rewards but it would be no more than a quick fix. The big picture would remain as blurred as ever and Rangers would be moving towards no specific goal, drifting aimlessly in no particular direction.
Lets get behind PLG and the players. Le Guen has made a few comments which have made me cringe but, after Wednesday night, he spoke some real words of wisdom when he said: "We have to stick together."
We are all in this together. Whether it be the manager taking flak from the Press, the players getting shouted at in the street or you and me taking stick at work or in the pub, whatever our feelings, we have to retain our dignity, maintain a level of self-respect and make sure any actions we take are thought through properly, avoiding any Tim-like knee-jerk responses.
The only individual who appears to be immune to all our suffering is the man at the head of the house and, until he comes out and tells us his plans for the future and how he intends to make them happen, we will remain a club in limbo. David Murray has enjoyed a lot of good times as Chairman of Rangers, and pocketed a right few quid in the process, but he has also presided over some of our darkest days and, in adversity, he has been nothing short of a disgrace.
It is time to bow out and the manner of his departure will determine how he is remembered by Rangers fans. The longer he delays, the more empty promises and blatant lies we have to listen to, can only damage his reputation. Go soon Mr Chairman, the door is open.
Getting back on to the winning trail against Dunfermline will only lift the mood temporarily but it is surely not too much to ask.
LITTLE BOY BLUE