Barry Ferguson insists there is a major change at Rangers that will help Russell Martin following the international break.
Rangers were last in action on August 31 when they played out a drab 0-0 draw at home to Celtic.
Nico Raskin was nowhere to be seen, Hamza Igamane had not long left after a drawn-out transfer saga, and Cyriel Dessers was on the bench, but about to leave for Greece.
Deadline day incomings following on Monday September 1, as that rounded off a summer of mass recruitment at Ibrox.
Now, Ferguson insists the dust has settled - and he thinks this should benefit Martin with no distractions off-field to take away from Rangers doing the business on it.
He wrote in his Daily Record column: "There's no point sugar-coating it and nothing to be gained by pretending Rangers and Russell Martin have got the season off to a positive start.
"And I’m perfectly sure no-one inside Ibrox would even attempt to suggest they’ve been happy with the first few weeks of the campaign.
"It’s been difficult for the new manager and, at times, it’s looked a bit frenzied. But it’s also worth remembering it was always likely to be a turbulent, transitional period.
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"When you think about it, with all that’s been going on, it was never likely to be as smooth as the club’s supporters were hoping for. There were always going to be bumps along the way.
"That all said, when the season restarts on Saturday at three o’clock, there can be no more distractions. And no more excuses.
"The hard yards have been done over the course of the summer. Russell said himself he was desperate for the summer market to shut down because of all the noise it had been creating
"Who’s staying? Who’s going? What’s this team going to look like if they allow Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane to move on? How do they cope with losing two strikers in one go?
"Well, now we have answers to those questions. The dust has settled and Russell will have been able to take some time during the international break to get his head clear.
"Scotland’s World Cup openers will have given everyone a bit of a pause and a chance to assess the situation.
"Most important of all, it’s also provided everyone with clarity for what’s required going forward.
"So when Hearts come to Ibrox on Saturday, Rangers will get the opportunity to relaunch their whole season. And it’s one they simply cannot afford to miss."
