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Given the poor start to Rangers’ league campaign, Sunday’s League Cup semi-final with Aberdeen takes on added significance.

Realistically, the two domestic cups present the Ibrox club’s best opportunity for silverware this season with Celtic currently sitting nine points ahead not to mention a substantially better goal difference in the Scottish Premiership.

Having acquired the long-overdue Scottish Cup last term following a 13-year wait, the League Cup hiatus has to end.

Remarkably, it’s been 12 long years since Rangers held the trophy aloft at Hampden after a pulsating cup final against their arch rivals with Steven Davis and an extra-time winner from Nikica Jelavic sealing a 2-1 victory.

I was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the game and I don’t think I’ve seen a ball take so long to cross the line as the Croatian’s that day as his effort spun off the inside of the post and sneaked in at the other.

The thousands of jubilant supporters leaving Hampden that day would’ve gawked if you told them they wouldn’t celebrate another major domestic cup triumph for 11 years.

Of course, the following season would result in the financial collapse of this colossal institution that would spell the end of three seasons of near dominance under Walter Smith, Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall.

The long and arduous road to recovery would begin but Rangers’ trips to Hampden would be few and far between and largely forgettable affairs.

The closest the Light Blues came to getting the League Cup monkey off their back was the 2019 final when Steven Gerrard’s men dominated Celtic but contrived to miss a penalty and pass up a hatful of chances while Christopher Julien’s eventual winner was proven to be offside.

It was a hard pill to swallow but there was to be a happy ending under Gerrard with the invincible 55 campaign just around the corner.

READ MORE: Rangers' new approach under Michael Beale can end League Cup wait

However, Rangers pride themselves on cup success. It’s what makes the club unique from many others throughout the world. This insatiable hunger for silverware separates it from most but, to put it bluntly, the cup record has been deplorable for quite some time.

The League Cup, in particular, has been a competition Rangers have enjoyed more than any other Scottish club since its introduction back in 1946.

The trophy has often been found nestled in the Ibrox Trophy Room with the club winning the competition a record 27 times but they’ve never had to wait so long to get their hands on the elusive silverware.

The longest previous wait was 11 and a half years between 1949 and 1960 as East Fife, Dundee, Hearts, Aberdeen and Celtic all shared the trophy around before Rangers finally had their hands on the cup thanks to a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock.

Current Rangers boss Michael Beale is well aware of the importance of obtaining his first trophy as manager. As a coach, he was on the receiving end of a number of humbling exits including a semi-final loss to Sunday’s opponents back in 2018.

Rangers Review: (Image: NQ)

It’s a defeat that still rankles with Beale as he explained in his pre-match press conference.

“We dominated the game and lost it to a set-play,” he said.

“We’re a much more mature team now. Set-plays will still be important and have been since I came back into the club.

“That was a game with a lot of regret for different reasons we never had a forward that was fit and in a good place when we played the game.

“I remember it well as we dominated it but didn’t win in the boxes. And when you play big games you have to win in both boxes. That will be key in the semi-final when the performance is secondary to the result.”

Rangers should expect a similar dogged display from the Dons who will be keen to rectify their collapse at Pittodrie last month. Beale expects as much too when he said: “If we perform at our truest level it will give us an opportunity to have a nice day out.

“If we don’t then the game could get sticky as Aberdeen will bring their best version and on their day they’re a good side.”

The Rangers support haven’t had many nice day outs at Hampden in 12 years, Sunday presents an opportunity for the first of, hopefully, many under Beale’s stewardship.