RANGERS supporters headed for the exits happy with what they had witnessed for the first time in an awfully long time after the cinch Premiership game against Aberdeen at Ibrox on Saturday.
They had been buoyed by the manner in which Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team had fought back against Jim Goodwin’s side after falling behind to a Connor Barron goal in the first-half.
The 4-1 triumph, recorded thanks to Antonio Colak, John Lundstram, James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos goals, gave them renewed hope for the future.
Can they play as well and avoid defeat against Ajax – and the worst group stage record in Champions League history – in Govan tomorrow evening?
Here are five things we learned from Rangers’ meeting with Aberdeen at the weekend?
GUTSY RANGERS, NAÏVE ABERDEEN
Rangers have been accused of being too nice, of lacking heart, of not playing for their manager Van Bronckhorst this season.
However, none of those charges could have been levelled at Tavernier and his team mates at Ibrox on Saturday.
They showed huge desire, great togetherness and no little skill after conceding early on and deservedly collected all three points at the end of the 90 minutes.
Rangers are still, despite the comfortable 4-1 win, not performing at their very best.
However, the vastly-improved display went a long way towards silencing their critics and augurs well for them going forward.
Van Bronckhorst was rightly pleased that his charges had enjoyed 70 per cent possession and had got 13 attempts on target.
That said, the tactics which Pittodrie manager Goodwin deployed helped the home team’s cause no end; he set his side out with a 3-1-4-2 formation and looked at attack from kick-off.
When the visitors managed to get the ball up to Duk and Bojan Miovski in the final third they caused their hosts serious problems.
But their offensive approach left them far too exposed at the back; the folly of their gameplan was exposed when Lundstram passed into a gaping hole in their defence before the equaliser.
Rangers created numerous opportunities thereafter and could have won by a far more emphatic scoreline.
There was logic behind Goodwin’s thinking – Aberdeen are the highest scoring side in the top flight behind leaders Celtic and possess creativity and physicality in the forward positions.
But the Irishman held his hands up and admitted he had got things badly wrong after the final whistle and would have to reassess his stance.
"Whatever criticism comes my way for setting the team up in the fashion I did, I'll take it,” he said.
Eredivisie leaders Ajax, who have had a free weekend, will not be so naïve.
DEFENSIVE DITHERING
Allowing Aberdeen forward Duk to get into a position to shoot in their own six yard box was bad enough from Rangers.
But failing to clear the ball after the Portuguese went to ground and claimed for a penalty was unforgiveable?
They were far too busy protesting their innocence to referee Nick Walsh to prevent Barron from ghosting in and rifling beyond Allan McGregor.
It proved to be the only occasion their rearguard was breached. Still, they must avoid such needless lapses in concentration if they are to avoid any costly slip-ups in the weeks ahead.
It has not been the only occasion they have been cut open at the back of late. Work remains to be done.
MORE INJURY WOES
Van Bronckhorst could be dusting off his Puma Kings and pulling on a light blue jersey again at this rate.
He was without Conor Goldson, Filip Helander, John Souttar, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack, Tom Lawrence, Ianis Hagi and Kemar Roofe going into the Aberdeen game.
The last thing the Dutchman needed was his Turkish defender Ridvan Yilmaz pulling up in the sixth minute and hobbling off with a hamstring strain and then Ben Davies not being able to go back out for the second-half due to a groin twinge.
Borna Barisic was a more than able replacement at left back, who will be sidelined for a couple of weeks, and James Sands acquitted himself well when he dropped back from central midfield.
However, Van Bronckhorst’s injury list is horrendous and could impact on his side against Ajax and domestically thereafter.
VAR BETTER
It is fair to say that Walsh had a far quieter game on Saturday than he had seven days earlier when he took charge of the Hearts game against Celtic at Tynecastle.
But the match official still had several big VAR calls to make.
He awarded Rangers a second-half penalty after watching a replay on the pitchside monitor and ruling that Jayden Richardson had handed inside his own area. He then allowed a late Morelos goal to stand.
There was a little bit too much standing around waiting for many people’s liking. The process will have to be speeded up a little. But the game was further evidence that the new technology can work in this country.
TILLMAN TALENT
Malik Tillman has, despite being just 20, came in for some scathing criticism from Rangers supporters of late as a result of his disappointing form.
There were great hopes for the United States internationalist when he arrived in Glasgow from Bayern Munich on loan back in July.
Initially, he impressed greatly in his favoured No 10 role.
He earned the gratitude of fans when he intercepted a pass and supplied Colak for the winner in the Champions League play-off game against PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands in August.
But since then the German-born attacking midfielder has toiled and has often found himself warming the bench.
Tillman, though, was back to his best on Saturday. He set up Colak for the equaliser, showed some flashes of brilliance on the ball and put in a powerful shift.
He was not the only one. Alongside him, Fashion Sakala had his best game in a long time too. The pair can be potent weapons for Rangers if they continue to perform so well.
