Rangers finally found something that has been missing all season: a bit of order in the chaos.
Up to this point, it has been a grim opening to the campaign. Recruitment has dragged, the European run – if it deserves that description – collapsed in embarrassment, and Derek McInnes has looked like a manager rifling through a tactical lucky dip. Teams, shapes, substitutions: everything has felt experimental, nothing settled.
Against Aberdeen on Sunday, that changed. This was the version of Rangers many expected from McInnes on day one: disciplined, organised, and, crucially, effective. It was not spectacular, but it was sound. They were solid and they got over the line. Right now, that matters more than any flourish.
The attacking play still lacked consistent threat, but two players stood out. Kim Min-Su demanded the ball and tried to make the game run through him, playing like a man intent on becoming the fulcrum of this side. Djeidi Gassama brought energy and edge, his liveliness a rare spark in a forward line that has too often looked blunt and uncertain.
At the other end, the key calls went Rangers’ way, and rightly so. Referee Matthew MacDermid was under the usual glare, but on the major moments he was firm and correct. Kevin Nisbet’s disallowed goal has already triggered the predictable online noise, yet the decision itself was clear. There were two infringements in the move: a shove on Dujon Sterling and an offside. Either was enough; together they left no room for argument. The flag and whistle did their job.
The bigger question now is whether this performance is a turning point or a one-off. A win built on comfort and solidity cannot be left to stand alone as an oddity in a messy season. It has to be the base layer.
Falkirk on Wednesday will test that. The expectation is simple: take the same defensive resolve, add a touch more conviction in the final third, and show that Aberdeen was not a rare good day but the start of a pattern.
Off the pitch, the work is even more urgent. The squad is still short of the quality and depth required. A striker has been heavily linked and remains a priority. Beyond that, the gaps are obvious: another right winger, two midfielders, and a general lift in standard across the group. There is a lot to do and not much time to do it before the window shuts.
Rangers have finally put one proper marker down. The next few days will reveal whether it was the first brick in a rebuild or just a brief pause in a season that started so badly.
