What sort of response would you get from a Rangers fan if you told them their team would have the chance to go top of the pile in April when Russell Martin was being smuggled out of Falkirk six months earlier?

After that 1-1 draw, Martin was sacked with the Ibrox side in eighth place, 11 points adrift of top spot after one win in seven league matches.

Another draw against United in their following game under interim boss Steven Smith extended that gap to 13 points.

Ibrox was toxic that October afternoon. Twenty-four weeks on, victory in a repeat of that fixture will send Rohl’s side to the summit for at least 24 hours.

It has been far from perfect under the German head coach, but after 16 Premiership matches – 10 wins, six draws and one defeat – a potential momentum-shifting moment is there to be grasped.

Failure to capitalise, however, and momentum could shift the other way and the Glasgow club’s fans will only reiterate their doubts about the team’s mentality.

Plus, they will be facing a United side buoyed by their fantastic 2-0 success over Celtic before the international break, but the visitors have not won a league game at Ibrox since April 2011.