Philippe Clement has chosen not to respond in detail to the question. He will know the answer, though. Supporters are fully aware of the situation as well. Clement may not wish to state it, but the fans will say it for him.

Right now, this Rangers squad is weaker, this Rangers team is poorer, than the one that ended last term as failed Premiership challengers and beaten Scottish Cup finalists. Indeed, it is only a couple of weeks since Clement admitted it himself.

Read more: Check all the Rangers transfer news & rumours throughout the transfer window

In an interview with the BBC ahead of the fixture with Hearts on the opening day of the season, Clement spoke about the ‘start of our marathon’ and how you ‘want to win everything’. That same afternoon, Rangers stumbled at their first hurdle. Even then, concerns were raised about Clement’s ability to win anything, never mind everything.

"I believe in the players we're signing, in the things we're doing, the recruitment as well, which is not just short-term any more,” Clement said before seeing his side held to a goalless draw at Tynecastle. “The squad now is probably not better than it was at the end of the season but we are working on it to make it better."

In time, Rangers may well be better. The transfer window closes on August 30 and Clement and Nils Koppen, the director of football recruitment, must be gearing up for a hectic period of ins and outs as chairman John Bennett prepares to sign off on the final phase of this rebuild.

After a quick start, progress stalled. Rangers must now finish with a flourish if they are to ever get going this term. That is when the window as a whole can be judged as a success or a failure, but the first marker posts in the season have already come and gone for Rangers and the first black marks have already been jotted down. There is no fresh feel from new faces, while the old ones continue to operate at previous levels.

Rangers were not in the required shape for their league curtain-raiser. Ten days on, they were not good enough for their Champions League shot at glory. It was ahead of the second leg with Dynamo Kyiv that the subject of where Rangers have been and where they are was raised once again.

“I don’t want to make those comparisons now,” Clement said on Monday as he was quizzed about the quality of the group at that moment compared to the squad that finished last season. “Ask me that question… Not on the September 1 but give me a few days after.”

The following night, the debate was fierce. Fuel had been added to the fire after the 2-0 defeat denied Rangers a place in the play-off round. The dismissal of Jefte had to be taken into account, but it was not a once size fits all excuse for the shortcomings over two legs against an opponent that was there to be beaten.

In an instant, a potential £40million bounty was taken off the table and the plans – which Clement had acknowledged would alter if the Champions League was reached – were redrawn. Life at the end of the week is more difficult than it was at the start.

“Nobody knows that,” Clement said when asked if he was as far along with the rebuild as he thought he would be following the loss to Kyiv. “Not one manager at one moment during a transfer window. We need to see September 1 where we are in that situation.”

That date will be defining in many ways. It is, of course, the first Old Firm fixture of the season. If supporters ever needed a measure of where their side are, then that 90 minutes at Parkhead will lay it out. It will raise as many questions as answers.

This is a side that is short of quality and a squad that is short of depth. Of those recruited so far, only Robin Propper, Connor Barron and Vaclav Cerny look like being capable of operating at the required standard often enough. Liam Kelly is a back-up keeper, Clinton Nsiala is a project defender and Hamza Igamane is a conversation all on his own given that he has not been deemed ready to even make a squad as yet. Oscar Cortes will have to prove that he is worth the outlay when he returns from the second injury absence of his Ibrox career and Jefte, who has shown signs of promise, is not yet the finished article in left-sided defensive and attacking roles.

Those that departed, the stalwarts of 55 and European runs in recent seasons, had to move on. It was time for the likes of Connor Goldson, Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe to leave. As a result, a wage bill that was too high for what it delivered in return has been addressed and the profile of the group has altered. It is, and has been so often, not a case of what you spend, but how you spend it at Ibrox.

(Image: Rangers Review)

Rangers have not improved. When the squad is looked at in black and white, it becomes clear just how many more deals need done. Another half-a-dozen could be removed without any grumbles from a fed up fan base and the spine of the team still needs addressed as a matter of urgency.

A centre-back and a midfielder of the right profile would give Rangers more control and command in their own half. The No.10 position stands out as a problem area, while the wings do not have the required back-up for the first choices.

At centre-forward, Clement is playing a high-risk game while Danilo and Igamane are not able to replace Cyriel Dessers. A more reliable source of goals is required, but such a deal may hinge on the man that is depended on more than anyone to move on first.

As Clement outlined during the pre-season camp in Holland, Rangers have to sell before they can buy. Todd Cantwell has already indicated his desire to leave but has yet to agree an exit, while Clement is open to offers for Ianis Hagi. Some of those on the fringes of the squad may remain to make up the numbers but too much money is tied up in the likes of Ben Davies and Rabbi Matondo for them to be fillers rather than foundations.

This summer was billed by Clement as the ‘end of a cycle’. Not enough players have got on their bikes, though, and Rangers are still hamstrung by the mistakes of previous campaigns and previous managers. Like is the case with any boss, backing Clement with cash comes with its own risks right now.

This was never going to be a quick fix and supporters can understand that as well as expect more at the same time. It is right that Rangers look longer term in their planning and recruitment, but there must be a balance between blue sky thinking and achievement in the here and now. The coming fortnight will determine if Rangers have found that equilibrium over the window as a whole or not.

At that stage, Clement will be able to answer questions on recruitment. By then, they may not be the only ones being asked. The supporters will, after all, be very aware of the situation at Ibrox.