MOMENTUM is difficult to build but easy to lose. Rangers know that only too well and Michael Beale is now banking on fortunes changing and power shifting as he dares to dream of an unlikely Premiership title triumph on his return to Ibrox.

Overturning the nine-point deficit to Celtic is not mission impossible. Beale and his players must believe that anything can be achieved, but there will surely be few supporters who have their glass anywhere near half full after a largely abject first half of the campaign.

The break this season is unique in terms of its timing and its reasons and it was one that came at just the right moment for Rangers for a change. Unlike in three of the previous four years, the hiatus was greeted with sighs of relief as everyone at Ibrox was given the chance to regroup and take stock of the situation.

That process ultimately resulted in the sacking of Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Beale's return. His appointment as manager is a fresh start for a team and a squad that must now provide acceptable answers to the ever-growing list of questions - covering every area from their ability to their mentality - that have stockpiled in recent weeks and months.

Beale spoke about the friendly with Bayer Leverkusen being 'in the way' on Saturday but the positives were plentiful as he reflected on his first match in charge. As he once again stressed, all focus is fixed on Hibernian, though, and that is when the real business starts for the 42-year-old.

He will be cognisant of the challenge that Rangers face in the Premiership. And he will be as aware as anyone of how teams can perform so differently in the second half of the season compared to the first, especially given his own experiences during his first two terms at Ibrox.

Rangers must hope that they are on the positive side of that situation for a change. The reasons for their collapses - twice under Steven Gerrard and then last season following Van Bronckhorst's appointment - were difficult to comprehend as they faltered and faded and the slim chance that Celtic will do likewise now keeps faint title dreams alive.

This is the first time for a long time that Rangers have been so far off the pace heading into a restart. The titles were there to be won in Gerrard's first two terms before patches of results that allowed Celtic to stride clear, while the failure to convert a six-point lead last time out was part of the reason that Van Bronckhorst only lasted 12 months at Ibrox.

The heroics on the road to Seville were the backdrop for a run that saw the advantage reduced and then grow at an alarming rate. Losing at Pittodrie in the first game back set the tone and the narrative and Rangers simply never recovered as the defence of their title ended in such a tame, unforgivable manner.

The pattern was nothing new. Supporters had seen that particular movie before but could only watch on as history repeated itself and their side looked a shadow of themselves during the stages when teams show their credentials and prove that they have the true mark of champions.

The season that saw the pattern broken was, of course, their ruthless, relentless run to 55 last May. It was perhaps no coincidence that there was no top flight shutdown that particular term and Rangers certainly capitalised on the fixture schedule that allowed them to tick off the wins with such impressive regularity.

Over a shorter timeframe, that must be the ambition once again. The Old Firm showdown in a couple of weeks stands out on the calendar but even three wins over Celtic is unlikely to be enough to see Beale lead his side to the title and there is no margin for error now.

Those matches are issues in their own right. Taking care of business against the rest of the league is just as pressing a concern, though, and Rangers have to prove that they are capable of that now that every 90 minutes falls into the 'must win' category.

In some ways, a shot at glory can be considered a free hit for Rangers. There is pressure to be victorious on each individual occasion, but almost no expectation or demand that the Premiership trophy is delivered given the situation that Beale has inherited.

It is very different from the other previous occasions that Rangers have returned to action after a mid-season shutdown and the coming weeks will show if Beale has learned any lessons from the scenarios that saw Gerrard's side quickly lose the upper hand in the Old Firm fight for supremacy.

In successive seasons, Rangers had, courtesy of derby wins at Ibrox and then Parkhead, the bragging rights and the drive heading into the break. On both occasions, those positions counted for nothing as potential champions became forlorn challengers and performances and results eroded at the business end of the respective campaigns.

The change of manager has altered the dynamic this time around. It is not a case of Rangers looking to pick up where they left off given how the Van Bronckhorst era ended, but one of them attempting to make the most of a new beginning as the slate is wiped clean.

A refreshed philosophy is prevalent on the pitch, while a different voice leads in the dressing room. Many of this squad have been over the course and distance, and experienced the highs and lows, on several occasions and the knowledge of how quickly the balance can be altered will act as a glimmer of hope.

It is all that many can cling to right now. Beale and his players will say the right things in public and behind closed doors but Rangers have shot themselves in the foot too often this season and the damage is now surely irreparable.

The remaining Premiership games are far from meaningless, however, and all eyes are on Beale to see what kind of reaction he can get from this underperforming group and what his Rangers will look like as short-term improvements, he hopes, lead to triumphs in the longer run. If that somehow results in 56 come May, it will be the most dramatic denouement to a title race since Helicopter Sunday.

The old saying is that Rangers welcome the chase. Time will tell how they cope now that they are firmly on the other side of it.

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