At half-time at Ibrox on Saturday, the tension was palpable.
A sense of 'here we go again' permeated social media posts as a dogged Motherwell side defended for their lives, a goal infront.
The Steelmen were clearly looking to capitalise on wobbly Ibrox nerves as they adopted an ultra defensive 5-5-0 formation without the ball.
And for a long time it worked, combining with anxiety from a shock 3-2 defeat by St Mirren and sending fans spinning back towards fears of a winter meltdown similar to last season.
It was a game they likely would have lost last season but summer signings Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten came to the rescue to deliver a comfortable looking 3-1 victory in the end.
Steven Gerrard 's animated demeanour throughout the game and especially when the goals went in showed he knew exactly what the result meant.
The collapse after the winter break over two seasons on the trot means that performances and results will be watched closely over the coming weeks and any signs of faltering will be seen as a pattern.
But Gerrard has already done the work that should ensure there is no repeat of their January and February blues.
Here Record Sport takes a look at the six reasons there should be no winter disaster this time around.
Striking big guns
When Roofe and Itten arrived in the summer, it was assumed the pair were coming in to replace the outgoing Alfredo Morelos but that has not proven to be the case. With a bid of £16.5m dismissed from Lille, Rangers started the campaign with the new boys, the Colombian and Jermain Defoe. Four strikers leaves them in a strong position regardless of suspension or injury but it's the options this quintet give the manager that stand out. Defoe is a poacher, Itten a targetman, Roofe a deep-lying forward and Morelos a combination of all three. That means that whatever challenge an opposition side is posing, the manager has an option to pose different questions.
Squad rotation
While the volume of changers made to the starting XI were cited as an issue in the Betfred Cup exit, Gerrard has been tinkering with his team all season to retain freshness. It's now difficult to pinpoint what the Scouser's first pick side would be as every game has a horses for courses element to it. The depth and quality of squad provided by the summer transfer business has aligned with very little dip in standards on the pitch. With injuries seemingly at a low, you wonder how big a factor the new Zone 7 AI system is having in highlighting players who may be entering a danger zone and need a rest. Such innovative thinking could be a major factor in ensuring the best players don't get fatigued or sapped by niggling injury.
More aggressive formation
Rangers have adapted their 4-3-2-1 to become more of a 4-2-3-1 this term with a midfielder given more of a licence to get forward. We have seen Joe Aribo and Scott Arfield plunder goals and assists in this more advanced role having been shorn of some of their defensive duties. This allows more players into the box to break down packed defences - the main issue Rangers struggled with towards the conclusion of the coronavirus-stopped campaign.
Full-back cover
One of the crucial aspects that is often missed about Rangers' form in the post shutdown period was injuries to Borna Barisic and James Tavernier. The pair are crucial to how the Ibrox side operate and without them, Andy Halliday and Jon Flanagan offered a different, less swashbuckling style of full-back play. This was something that has been rectified this season and while back-up options Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey are green, they are both comfortable bombing on down the flanks. While Rangers will want their two star men to be fit, at least they know that any issues won't force a change in attacking style.
No winter break
While there was very probably little wrong with last season's Dubai training camp, it has become slightly notorious given what followed. The likely truth is Rangers ills came from several complex reasons combining but the mere mention of the Gulf state still has the power to make make fans wince. There will be no such concerns this term as the pandemic has ensured there is no time for a break in action.
Iron Curtain defence
Rangers have been brilliant at the back this term, conceding just five goals in 18 games and looks like it will see a marked improvement on the 19 goals conceded last term. While the individual defender deserve credit, the numbers are very much a testament to the organisation and shape created on the training field while strikers and defenders much in to take the pressure off the back four. A special word must go to Connor Goldson who has been a leader on the pitch and defended like a lion at times. He has even popped up with some crucial goals and is on course to hit double figures for the season.
