The last time Gio van Bronckhorst was at Hampden he was forced to dissect a disastrous first 45 minutes against Hibs with coach Roy Makaay over a cuppa.
There was plenty to ponder in November as Martin Boyle's Premier Sports Cup semi final hat-trick consigned them to defeat.
It was a form of paralysis for the incoming boss, he was in attendance but could do little to alter a contest that slipped away from them before the interval.
Rangers may have flopped in the first match of the post-Steven Gerrard era but they made up for it on Sunday as they outfought and outthought Celtic en route to the Scottish Cup Final.
Signature results in Mount Florida have become a precious commodity in recent times for a club forged on triumphs at the national stadium.
The 46-year-old Ibrox boss has made a splash in Europe but sinking their great rivals on Sunday was of extra importance after a pair of sobering league defeats that leaves them outsiders to retain the Premiership.
Van Bronckhorst is a fearsome competitor, as his trophy-laden playing career proves, but there was an extra oomph emanating from him on Sunday with recent setbacks all the added motivation you'll need.
Record Sport had a bird's-eye-view within Hampden as the Rangers boss made a compelling case for man of the match with a host of big call en route to a Hampden return date with Hearts.
Proactive with Dave Vos
Rangers settled quickly to their task at Hampden but their manager wasn't settling for acceptable, he called his No.2 Dave Vos from the dugout in the 15th minute.
And the pair were locked in discussions and it resulted in several pieces of advice being filtered onto the pitch - most noticeably a spell where Aaron Ramsey picked up the role as the deepest lying player in the midfield three.
Predecessor Steven Gerrard would often turn to tactics guru Michael Beale for guidance but it was a case of van Bronckhorst setting the tone as he looked for any small advantage that would help his side win.
Non stop encouragement
Van Bronckhorst never left his spot on the edge of the oversized Hampden dugout for all of the 120 minutes.
There was the odd wince, such as when Scott Wright was outmuscled by Tony Ralston, but the Dutchman's demeanour was one of positivity towards his players and their ability to carry out his instructions.
He applauded Kemar Roofe's tireless efforts, and appeared keen to give even more of himself as a manager in a bid to reinforce his belief that the plan was working against their biggest rivals.
Calvin Bassey also was lauded for his man marking job that nullified Tom Rogic at Hampden.
Deciding on Davis
Arfield was always coming on for Joe Aribo but it was a last second gesture from Van Bronckhorst to the elevated bench at Hampden that led to Steven Davis' joining his team-mate on the pitch.
The Northern Irishman is Rangers royalty regardless, but remains a force in the here and now as he quickly made an impact with superior passing ability gaining his side a foothold during his 45 minutes on the pitch.
The 37-year-old was able to find little avenues to sit in and leave an increasingly tired Reo Hatate to chase him around as he coolly worked the ball from side to side.
Davis appeared destined to come on, at some stage, but it was a gut instinct from the manager that led to his introduction minutes before the equaliser.
Pep talk that swung it
The Rangers boss is no ranter, that's for sure, but he was the one doing the talking in the pow wow before extra time and at the brief interval.
Celtic were doing similar, of course, but his desire was evident and tied in with his overall approach on a day when the former Ibrox star landed his signature result, so far, as boss.
It seemed clear Rangers' players knew they had Celtic rocking and their manager was keen to provide an extra jolt of belief from the sidelines.
Calmness amid the madness
This is arguably his finest piece of work on a bonkers day at Hampden.
Amid 25,000 Rangers supporters losing their head, van Bronckhorst was keeping his as Leon Balogun ambled over to the bench to state he was still feeling the after effects of his collision with Stephen Welsh.
And the Dutchman, as quick as a flash, turned to his medics and let them know that Balogun was in need of assistance.
It might seem the obvious thing to do but sprinting up the touchline and joining Bassey over the advertising hoardings must have also been pretty tempting as well.
That exchange only reinforced the perception that the Rangers boss was performing at a level himself that was matched by his players.
