Just when it looked like Steven Gerrard’s return to Rangers was ready to be signed, sealed and delivered, a late change of heart sends the club back to square one.

It’s understandable that many supporters should feel so dismayed by it all. There might even be a slight sense of deja vu given what happened with the same man only four months ago.

Back in the summer, the conversations with Gerrard never really got off the ground. They spoke to him and sounded him out. That much was a matter of fact.

Things never really went any further than that, before Rangers eventually turned their eye to Russell Martin.

This time was different. Gerrard was ready to talk turkey. He didn’t fly to London just for tea, biscuits and a chat with Andrew Cavenagh, Paraag Marathe and Co.

Paraag Marathe and Andrew Cavenagh have to get the next managerial appointment right

Many Rangers fans wanted Steven Gerrard back but he has snubbed the Ibrox club

No. Sources close to the talks have indicated that Gerrard was very much open to coming back to Rangers.

As late as Friday night, the deal was very much on. There was a confidence on both sides that it would be wrapped up over the weekend.

Gerrard had even sounded out potential assistants, with former England coach Steve Holland primed and ready to come in as part of a new-look backroom team.

Then, late on Saturday night, the bombshell dropped that Gerrard had pulled out of the running.

Truth be told, alarm bells actually started ringing on Saturday afternoon when Rangers started briefing about how Danny Rohl had been so impressive during his presentation to the board.

Hmm. The club were obviously keen to get that line out there, at a time when the Gerrard situation was about to hit the rocks.

Gerrard was willing to compromise on certain things and make certain sacrifices in his personal life in order to make it work.

However, at the 11th hour he got cold feet. Daily Mail Sport understands that he was left unconvinced by the structure behind the scenes.

Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl is new frontrunner for Rangers job

Steven Gerrard steered Rangers to their last title triumph as manager back in 2021

The club’s owners were unwilling to budge on certain things, and some might say that stance is admirable.

Only if you have a proven track record, though and are operating from a position of strength.

Where all of this leaves the Americans is anyone’s guess. Since completing their takeover of Rangers a few months ago, they have been deeply unimpressive.

The decision to appoint Martin was a disaster right from the get-go. That was a major black mark against their names.

It was thought the re-appointment of Gerrard could go some way to rebuilding their relationship with supporters and reuniting a fractured fanbase.

All this latest episode has done is strengthen the feeling that the Americans have pitched up at Ibrox totally ill-prepared for the job required.

Why are they scrambling around? It already feels like there’s a distinct lack of options and a lack of ideas. There appears to be no obvious plan to what they’re doing.

It was blatantly obvious weeks ago that Martin was heading for the sack, yet it still feels like Rangers have been caught on the hop in terms of trying to get a replacement.

Chairman Cavenagh, above left, and vice chairman Marathe are still to fully convince the supporters in the early months of their stewardship at Ibrox

The appointment of Russell Martin was a disaster, and Rangers can’t afford a repeat

That’s a poor reflection on everyone involved in the club’s hierarchy. Whatever your views on Gerrard might be, the club have handled this poorly.

Given that he only won one trophy in nine during his first stint in Glasgow, followed by subsequent failures at Aston Villa and Al Ettifaq, some might say Rangers have dodged a bullet here.

They’ll tell you that Gerrard would have been coming back to Ibrox as damaged goods. There is undeniably an element of truth in that.

But he would have united the supporters and restored some goodwill with the owners. All of that is now gone.

Whoever the new manager happens to be, whether it’s Rohl or someone else, they’ll come into the club knowing they were not first choice.

There will be an inevitable feeling of resentment among some supporters that the new manager isn’t Steven Gerrard.

Ultimately, the owners have put the new manager on the back foot with fans before he is even in the door.

If it is to be Rohl, and all signs point to that now being the case, they’d better hope the German can turn things around quickly.

Because one more bum move from the Yanks will see fans turn their fury on the boardroom rather than the dugout.