Rangers are turning stale after transfer dithering and Van Bronckhorst's dead cat bounce papered over cracks - Keith Jackson

There's a difference between a dead cat bounce and a dead cat strategy.

But neither of them seem all that appealing. And right now Giovanni van Bronckhorst is in serious danger of deploying both of them at the same time.

The dead cat bounce is a term used in the investment industry to describe a temporary rise in the price of shares during a prolonged period of decline, all based on the theory that even a dead cat will bounce if it falls from high enough.

In football it’s better known as the new manager impact – a sudden upturn in results that can be directly attributed to a change of leadership in the dugout.

But often it also papers over the cracks that were causing the previous guy such a big problem in the first place.

Van Bronckhorst certainly fits nicely into that category, having done so much to steady a ship that was starting to list quite noticeably under Steven Gerrard before the Scouser and his backroom team manned the first available life raft for Aston Villa.

But it’s what happens next that will determine if an unconvincing start to the second half of the season is just a blip or something far more serious for the new Rangers boss.

The dead cat strategy, on the other hand, comes straight from the Downing Street play book of political black arts – a classic diversionary tactic designed to take eyes off balls.

When the conversation over dinner is becoming awkward and a little too inconvenient, toss a dead cat on the dining table and give them something else to talk about.

And unwittingly, Van Bronckhorst might tick that box too.

Because, while the focus right now is on the Dutchman’s tactical tweaking, team selections and substitutions, the overarching fact remains that Rangers have been guilty of