By Alistair Aird

The last time Rangers played at Ibrox; they were soundly beaten by Aberdeen. The 3-1 defeat brought the Michael Beale era to an end – a few weeks later than it probably should have drawn to a close – and since then the Light Blues have lost in Limassol and comfortably beaten St Mirren under the interim charge of Steven Davis, Alex Rae, Steven Smith, Brian Gilmour, and Colin Stewart.

But when Rangers took to the field to face Hibernian, they did so under the stewardship of their 19th permanent manager, Philippe Clement. The Belgian took over a beleaguered bunch of players but has spoken with great authority this week and the supporters have once again mobilised to get behind then new man in charge.

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Clement arrived boasting a good track record. He had won league titles in Belgium and took great pride in setting up his team to play bold, dominant football. Time would tell if he would achieve that with the ragged Rangers squad he had inherited from Michael Beale.

On a chilly afternoon under blue skies, Rangers took to the field with a few surprise inclusions in the starting XI. Sam Lammers has flattered to deceive since coming to Ibrox in the summer, but he was given the nod. There was a place too for Scott Wright. The epitome of inconsistency since Steven Gerard brought him to Ibrox, Wright must pull up trees in training every week as he continues to be selected ahead of some promising youngsters such as Ross McCausland. There would be another opportunity too for the misfiring Cyriel Dessers to show that he had within him at least some sort of semblance of ability as a number nine.

A message was unravelled in the Broomloan Stand before kick-off. It was simple. The fans wanted ‘Everything from Everyone’. Too often this season, too many players – key players – have been posted missing in action. As a new era for the club dawned, this was another opportunity for the players to give the fans a resounding response. They did.

Dessers got the ball rolling at 1504, and the supporters settled back into their seats looking for a fast start from their heroes. And that’s exactly what they got, Tavernier’s surge down the right forcing a corner inside the opening couple of minutes. It came to nothing, though.

Clement had said midweek that we could expect lots of interchanges, but his team initially shaped up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, or ‘structure’ as he calls it. Tavernier, Goldson, Souttar, and Barisic lined up in front of Jack Butland, while Raskin and Lundstram anchored the midfield. Sima, Lammers and Wright formed a triumvirate behind Dessers.

Lammers found himself with a sight of goal after seven minutes, but his right foot shot was deflected wide of target. Again, it came to nothing, but the opening exchanges had been heartening.

As the clock ticked on to 10 minutes, Barisic went down. The Croatian looked to have pulled up with a muscle injury after less than a minute, and clearly, he had now exacerbated the issue. His match was over, with Yilmaz taking over at left back.

Hibernian had offered little other than a rearguard action, although a Dylan Vente snapshot had warmed the gloves of Butland. They looked intent to counterattack when the chance presented itself and it almost paid off when a cross was fizzed to the back post. Lundstram was there to make the block, though.

The much-maligned Dessers drew a save from David Marshall before he trundled the ball into the net only to be flagged offside. But the opening goal was only delayed by a minute or so. Abdallah Sima has been in red hot scoring form of late and he added another to his tally when he ripped a right foot shot across Marshall into the far corner. It was his eighth goal in 16 appearances this season, an excellent return.

The goal galvanised a reinvigorated Rangers side. In possession, they were attacking with pace and purpose, while out of possession they were hunting down the Hibernian players and harrying them until they relinquished the ball. Passes were much more purposeful, and it was night and day from what the followers had witnessed this season thus far.

After 26 minutes, Wright flashed in a cross that was deflected wide for another corner. Like the others, it didn’t create an opportunity for a shot at goal, but in the transition that followed, Wright was denied by Marshall before Lammers had a shot charged down. That prompted a VAR check for a possible handball, but ‘no penalty’ was the decision.

Clement had prowled the edge of his technical area liked a caged tiger from the outset. He must have been content with what he was witnessing, but it was clear he was demanding more from his new charges. He was often seen barking instructions, encouraging his players, and when he wasn’t doing that, he was in the dugout in discussion with his coaching staff.

But a one-goal advantage is a precarious one, even more so given the fragility of the Rangers defence this season. And although Hibernian continued to offer little in the forward areas, there was still an air of uneasiness whenever those wearing green and white ventured towards Butland’s goal.

Thankfully, that was eased somewhat when Nicolas Raskin scored a beautiful second goal. The Belgian sent a stunning shot high into the net from distance, and you felt that that would afford the home side a platform to push on and score more goals in the second half.

There were no personnel changes at the break, and Rangers were soon on the front foot. After good work from Dessers to chase players down and win the ball back, Sima burst down the left wing, and his cross just eluded the languid Lammers. The Dutchman then shot narrowly wide of target after turning and making space for himself to get a shot away.

Another player who divides opinion, Scott Wright, was enjoying an enterprising start to the second half. He showed tenacity on one occasion to win the ball back and release Lammers, and that was followed by a lovely run and cross that Dessers couldn’t get under control.

Then came the moment that summed up Sam Lammers at the moment. Dessers was harrying once again, and when the ball broke to Lammers, he cannoned a right foot shot off the post. A player in a better place mentally and with more confidence would have found the net.

It is likely in the weeks ahead that the number 10 role that Lammers has occupied will go to the fit-again Todd Cantwell. The Englishman hasn’t quite found the form he showed at the end of last season, but on his day, he is one of the most creative artists in the squad. He is industrious too. And after a spell on the sidelines, he was back to a rapturous reception when he replaced Scott Wright just shy of the hour mark.

After 62 minutes, Sima, riding the crest of a wave of confidence, won the ball on the left wing and drew a foul that earned Lewis Miller a booking. Tavernier’s searching delivery was cleared by the head of Will Fish, but the ball was recycled and when it came back into the area, it was clinically despatched beyond Marshall by Sima. Lammers poked the ball forward, Dessers rounded the goalkeeper and had two attempts to score before the ball rebounded to Sima who made no mistake.

After 71 minutes, a lovely passage of play ended with Cantwell tiptoeing along the 18-yard line and drawing a diving save from Marshall. It was further evidence that the dominating football that Clement wants to see should come in the weeks and months ahead. If this is the vim and vigour we can get after only a couple of training sessions, then the humdrum, plodding football we have seen of late should be a thing of the past.

Hibernian should have pulled one back after 78 minutes. Jair Tavares dug out a cross from the left, but Elie Youhan, the hero of the recent Edinburgh derby, sliced wastefully wide. And he was made to pay for his profligacy when Rangers surged to the other end and after more magnificent play from Cantwell, Dessers stroked the ball home. Time will tell if that will be a seminal moment in the Nigerian’s Rangers career, but this was arguably his best performance in a Rangers jersey.

Dessers and Lammers made way for McCausland and Danilo, the latter sporting a mask in this his first match since fracturing his jaw against St Johnstone on 16 September. It looks like the long list of injuries is reducing, another positive to take on a day when it was difficult to be anything but given the immediate impact Clement’s arrival has had.

Raskin should have crowned a man-of-the-match performance with his second goal in injury time. He was played in on goal by a delicious through ball by young McCausland, but he dallied, and the chance was lost.

This was a rare ‘good day at the office’ for Rangers in the league at Ibrox this season. We’ve now won three and lost two of the five we’ve played. But of the three victories, this was by far the most impressive. Sima was unplayable, the team controlled the game, Cyriel Dessers got a confidence-boosting goal, and Todd Cantwell excelled on his return from injury.

But we must remain grounded. Often in the past teams have enjoyed that ‘new manager bounce’ then fallen away, so we can’t get too carried away. Clement himself has said on a couple of occasions this week that he isn’t a magician, and it will take time for his methodology to be implemented and bear fruit.

But the initial signs from this stroll in the sun give cause for optimism. After a false start, we can still blaze a trail lined with silverware (times three) and post-Christmas European football. Hey, we might even get a chance to go to Dublin and follow on!

And there I am getting carried away already!