RANGERS have a problem. That situation in itself is nothing new, but then neither is one of their most significant issues right now as they remain stuck away in the corner that they have painted themselves into.
They have become the black sheep of the SPFL, the club that cries wolf. Their stature and history should give them influence, but they are in the minority of one while the majority press on regardless.
Rangers don't make friends and influence people these days and that position means that no matter how good their intentions are or revolutionary their ideas may be, it will always be a struggle to get things done their way at Hampden.
The Ibrox board have spent years trying to oust Neil Doncaster as chief executive of the League. And they even added chairman Murdoch MacLennan and Rod McKenzie, the SPFL legal eagle, onto their hit list.
At times, their points have been perfectly valid and they have had sound, serious reason to question Doncaster's position as the well-paid public face of the SPFL and the front of camera shield that diverts flak away from club chiefs with a regularity and effectiveness that has to be grudgingly admired.
Rangers are no fans of Doncaster. In the eyes of their fans, he is out of his depth, a puppet rather than a master that has overseen some of the most controversial periods in the history of our game and that lacks the drive and innovation to take Scottish football forward.
The fall-out from 2012 will never be forgotten or forgiven and events of the Covid title handed to Celtic continue to leave a sour taste. The relationship between club and League is broken and there is a lack of trust and faith from Rangers supporters towards those who are supposed to represent their best interests nationally.
That position, whether it be accurate or hugely wide of the mark, is entrenched. And so are Rangers. But too many shots that have been fired from Ibrox towards Hampden haven't even made a dent in Doncaster's armour.
A win was chalked up a couple of months ago when the SPFL were forced to renegotiate the cinch sponsorship deal after a lengthy, messy and costly legal battle that ended in a court defeat. It was embarrassing for Doncaster, but it hasn't stopped him from being able to get deals done and this week he celebrated a new long-term, £150million agreement with Sky Sports.
So what really was the point of Rangers going after the League so persistently and furiously over the cinch situation? Was it really a momentous triumph that benefitted the club and the support? Or was it Douglas Park trying to settle a score and give Doncaster a bloody nose in the process?
Doncaster found a way round that debacle and excluded Rangers from the reworked deal. Then he went and did it again when Rangers refused to put their name to the Sky contract and were left urinating into the breeze as they attempted to make their voice heard.
The no-one likes us we don't care, even though we really do, siege mentality position that has been adopted at Ibrox is all fine and well, if you are into that sort of thing. But Rangers find themselves struggling to get their points across and make people sit up, listen and take notice.
Their influence politically has waned, their ability to shape the narrative in has all-but gone. And when the SPFL can simply change the rules - rightly or wrongly - to circumnavigate Rangers once again, then the Ibrox board have lost the capacity to be key decision makers in our game.
Doncaster claimed this week that Rangers were willing to back the TV deal on the condition that they received an apology and cash settlement over the cinch row. It is a petty stance worthy of our small-minded nation, but hardly one that is going to endear Rangers to fellow member clubs that surely must have become weary at it all.
The concerns that Rangers have over the Sky deal may very well be valid. Indeed, many supporters would perhaps share their frustrations that the contract didn't attract fresh faces and question the quantum and timing of the agreement that will run for the next seven seasons.
In an interview last week, Stewart Robertson, the Ibrox managing director, accused the SPFL of 'underselling' Scottish football. The comparison with the Premier League was pointless, although the one with Sweden was more pertinent.
It was a chance for Robertson to sell his vision, but it was short on detail and communication with the wider world remains a huge problem. If Rangers have bright ideas that will transform the game, then put them out there, convince others of their merits and be a leader, a revolutionary in Scottish football.
Rangers may well be spot on when it comes to the Sky deal but the lone voice in the room is never going to shout over the other 41 and it is no surprise that clubs have opted for the safety first option, stuck with what they know and signed on with a partner that has been loyal to Scottish football. It is symptomatic of the SPFL in many ways.
Our game could be marketed differently, sold better and talked up more but the growth will only happen when all interested parties are aligned and pulling in the one direction. Right now, regardless of the reasons, many of which are perfectly valid, that is not the case and the game will continue to suffer as a result.
The voice of Rangers should be a commanding one that is respected at home and abroad, their status should be a force for good and for change. Something is going to have to give, though.
There is enough evidence now to suggest Rangers are not going to beat them. Time will tell if they want to join them or continue to be the one.
