In December last year, Nils Koppen was named as director of football recruitment. In a statement on the club website, Rangers said that the move completed the men’s football board that would oversee and implement “the club’s football strategy, including making key decisions related to player trading, contracts, and squad planning.” The board itself is now in need of a long-term vision and the personnel to deliver it.

James Bisgrove left his post as chief executive officer in May to take up a post in Saudi Arabia. By then, Zeb Jacobs had already accepted an offer from Feyenoord as his stint as head of academy lasted just one season. Last month, John Bennett stepped down as chairman due to ill health a year after succeeding Douglas Park.
Rangers have yet to fill the posts vacated by Bisgrove and Jacobs. The process to recruit a CEO is ongoing after Jim Gillespie, the St Mirren vice-chairman, turned down the position. David McCallum is overseeing the academy at Auchenhowie. At first team level, the faith in Philippe Clement that was reaffirmed when he signed an extended contract remains in the corridors of power. At a time of upheaval in a business sense, Rangers need the Belgian to provide calm and hope, to win matches and win over the doubters within the fanbase.

Gilligan answered a call of duty from the club, his club, when Bennett made the decision to step aside and Letham has long been an influential figure around Rangers in a financial and operational sense. Their titles or status is irrelevant to both, but their roles could be defined as interim chairman and acting chief executive. Given their respective backgrounds and business acumen, their presence should provide supporters with a source of comfort at a time when more questions are being asked than answered.