Ending a long wait to reclaim the league title, followed by a sluggish start, injuries, loss of form as well as facing the pandemic.
This perilous situation encapsulates Liverpool last season following their 19/20 Premier League triumph but Steven Gerrard knows his current team are sailing close to the wind for a repeat.
Despite the massive disappointment that was last night’s Champions League exit to Malmo, we are only three games into the new season and it is too early to press the panic button.
However, the facts, data and the human eye doesn’t lie.
Rangers on their current showings, look a shadow of the strong, resilient, mean machine that eliminated all competition domestically as well as making decent strides in Europe.
Senior first team players, around half a dozen at least are miles off the pace and struggling.
There is a softness to the defence, evidenced over the last week, which isn’t what we saw last season.
Is it psychological, have Gerrard’s champions ‘maxed out’, are they capable of getting over this early slump to recover and prove the doubters wrong?
There are many big questions being posed at the moment and Gerrard, his coaching staff and the squad need to find the answers fast.
Why?
Yes, the early season has been disupted by several factors – primarily a fragmented pre-season disrupted by Euros duty, injuries and pandemic restrictions.
Previously, Rangers had effectively warmed up for the big games in Europe with one or two less taxing qualifying rounds, which wasn’t the case this time around.
All of the above are real issues but they certainly are not excuses.
It appears that Rangers have been caught short and an element of complacency has set in. The problem lies in the dressing room and on the training pitch that is where it needs to be sorted.
The rest of the month will define the rest of the season, it is that important.
We need to consolidate fast domestically and ensure that Europa League football is secured as a minimum.
Anything else is unthinkable and a Liverpool style post-title collapse must be avoided, especially as the warning signs become even more prominent in clear view, directly in front.