Incoming Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart begins his role the day after the Scottish League Cup final on December 16.

He could be inheriting a club that's in further crisis if the Ibrox side don't lift silverware at Hampden Park, given Rangers' precarious position, trailing Celtic and Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership table.

The Rangers support are already demanding manager Philippe Clement is sacked and reports claim that Stewart's first big decision in the job will be whether he decides to stick by the Belgian beyond Christmas.

Mark Critchley from The Athletic provided his take on how he reckons Stewart will approach things and suggested the former Manchester United chief will enter his position with his "eyes wide open". 

"I think it says a lot about Rangers season so far that this game is almost a month away and everybody is expecting them to lose it," he said. "But I think he will be fully aware of the responsibilities of the role and the demands of it. I think any chief executive when they go in, yes they have decision making and authority but they are the ones who have to define the structure. 

"I know that it's Nils Koppen isn't it who's been appointed technical director this week, he's been moved up from his recruitment role. So, I don't know if Rangers' operations will necessarily funnel into Patrick Stewart but I'm sure he's walking into this role with his eyes wide open, knowing exactly the challenges that Rangers have had this season and that he may have on his desk first thing in the morning when he starts work."

Read more: 

Discussing the appointment on BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, Critchley revealed more about Rangers' newest boardroom addition. 

"People will have that his most recent job was at Manchester United and perhaps Manchester United are not especially renowned for being a well-run club, particularly over the last decade," he said. 

"But I wouldn't necessarily put a lot of that at Patrick Stewart's door. He joined in 2006, not long after the Glazer takeover, but spent the majority of the 18 years that he was at Old Trafford as the general council. So, essentially he was United's top lawyer. He was the guy that was signing off on absolutely everything from a legal perspective. Whether it was transfers, whether it was contract extensions, sponsorships and commercial deals.

"He would've been in the room and making sure everything was correct and legal over massive sponsorship deals like the Chevrolet one that they signed in 2012. £560m, it was a record at the time. There was a £900m deal with Adidas that they signed last year. That was a record as well. He would've played a key role in the club being listed on the New York stock exchange so he is a guy that was responsible for everything and making sure everyone was compliant legally at United. 

"It was maybe not a successful time on the pitch but it was in a commercial sense."

Read more: 

Aberdonian-born Stewart clearly has a strong and successful background but being Rangers' CEO will be a fresh challenge in his career. 

"At United he was the top lawyer but he wasn't necessarily the CEO," Critchley explained. 

"I mean he was for his final six months there. He was was appointed interim CEO when Richard Arnold left this time last year but it's been a year of upheaval at United. There's been a lot of change. In the end, he was only in the role for six months so there wasn't much decision making capacity really. Especially when you are waiting for a new CEO to come in. 

"I think when he left in April there was a sense that he would look to take on another executive role, one that would carry more decision making and power, and that's exactly what he's done. I think that's the attraction for him. I think it would be a move that he will see as ambitious in his next step on the ladder. 

"If you look at the executives that have left Old Trafford, not too many have walked into big football club's. So, I think it's a testament to Partick Stewart's reputation and the standing that he was held at United the fact he's managed to secure a top executive role at a club like Rangers. For everything you say, Rangers are still a massive club."

Asked if Stewart will be equipped to handle the focus that comes with representing Glasgow Rangers, Critchley said: "I think it's slightly different because going from being United's top lawyer to being the guy who has that decision making power, authority and influence is a very different step. 

"I think most chief executives are probably like referee's where it's probably best if you don't notice them. You don't know what they are getting up to. For him, he's got the track record, he's got the pedigree. He has the necessary experience and there's no reason to think that just because his name wasn't on the lips of every United fan that he hasn't got the knowhow to do what he needs to do to do a job like this properly."