It was during a dismal day in Lanarkshire last season when Steven Gerrard learned a few harsh lessons about his squad.
With the Scottish Premiership finishing line in sight and his Light Blues away to a struggling Hamilton Accies side he decided to rest a few of his key men.
But the Ibrox gaffer admitted to getting his fingers burned as two points were spilled even if it was never going to affect the destination of the title.
Rangers were sluggish - or “rubbish” is Allan McGregor described it in a short and sharp post match interview - as they were held to a 1-1 draw.
They were actually on course for a win they scarcely deserved after Gerrard was forced to ring the changes during the game.
Those substitutions injected a bit of much-needed life into the team and the visitors took the lead through a Brian Easton goal but Accies deservedly equalised at the death.
Bongani Zungu and Cedric Itten were both given a chance but the former was hooked on the hour and the latter shortly after.
It took the introduction of Steven Davis, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe to spark them into life and afterwards Gerrard said: “The subs brought personality - which tells me that I got some decisions wrong.”
The subject of resting players is one that has again come up this week and given the recruitment this summer should be a more realistic option.
On paper, John Lundstram was an upgrade on Zungu and Fashion Sakala the same on Greg Stewart with the emergence of youngster Stephen Kelly as well.
If ever there was a week to look at doing that then this was it with the huge first Old Firm derby of the season looming at Ibrox.
The idea was to get a healthy enough first leg lead in their Europa League play-off against Alashkert that some could be spared the 5000-mile round trip to Armenia.
That is a journey that puts their longest top right trip into perspective as they head to Dingwall on Sunday afternoon.
Gerrard could have done without either as he prepares for Celtic but had his squad been fit and firing and circumstances had been different then he could have gone for fringe men.
Instead, the Gers boss has confessed he can’t afford to do that and will have to go with his tried and trusted.
That is, in part, down to Lundstram’s poor start to his Ibrox career. He will miss the Armenia trip but not through choice - only his own stupidity after his red card left his time in the lurch.
Glen Kamara will at least return from his UEFA suspension and the Finnish international’s importance has been highlighted by his absence.
Gerrard has tinkered in the early part of the season with a different midfield three in each of the first six competitive games of the campaign.
In his defence, he hasn’t been helped by Kamara having been unavailable for Europe, Ryan Jack’s injury and Lundstram’s poor form.
But what he has discovered is that he can no longer chop and change. He admitted: “We’re not in a position to pick and choose who we play or resting people.
“It’s about finding people who are all in and really try and kickstart our season and get it underway and try and find our real level.”
He will now have to quickly find that best starting XI and stick with it after finding out a change doesn’t always do you good.
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