Rangers Find Foothold in Season with Solid Win Over Aberdeen

Rangers finally found a foothold on Sunday. It has taken them long enough.

Up to this point, the season has been grim. Recruitment has dragged, the European campaign was a write-off bordering on embarrassing, and Derek McInnes has spent weeks tinkering – line-ups, systems, substitutions – like a manager searching in the dark for a light switch.

Against Aberdeen, something at last resembled a plan.

Rangers were organised, disciplined and, crucially, got over the line. It was the kind of controlled, functional display that should have set the tone from day one. Now the question is whether this becomes a base to build from or just a rare moment of clarity in a muddled start.

In attack, only two players truly stood out. Kim Min-Su played as if he wanted the entire game to run through him, demanding the ball, trying to dictate the tempo and take responsibility. Djeidi Gassama brought the spark on the flanks, sharp and busy, always looking to make something happen. Beyond them, there was plenty of effort but not a lot of conviction.

The flashpoint came with Kevin Nisbet’s disallowed goal, and the noise online has been predictable. Conspiracy, outrage, the usual routine. Strip away the drama and the decision itself was straightforward. Referee Matthew MacDermid handled the big calls well, and this one was no different: there was a shove on Dujon Sterling and an offside. Two offences, one outcome. The goal had to go.

What Rangers produced here was not spectacular, but it was stable. After the chaos of recent weeks, that in itself felt like progress. Now they have to carry that into Falkirk on Wednesday. Another solid, professional performance there, and this result starts to look like a turning point rather than a one-off.

The bigger picture, though, is impossible to ignore. The squad is short. Everyone can see it.

A striker has been heavily linked and simply has to arrive. Beyond that, Rangers still need a right winger and two midfielders if they are serious about raising the standard. There is a lot of work to cram into the final days of the window to drag this group anywhere near the level demanded.

Sunday brought a hint of structure and a flicker of belief. The next few weeks will decide whether that was the start of a recovery or just a brief pause in a season that has already tested patience to the limit.